Dennis Stunkel

Dennis Stunkel age 84 of Broken Bow, NE passed away November 12, 2024, at Brookestone View in Broken Bow.

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 1:00 PM at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at 741 South 9th Ave in Broken Bow. Burial will follow in the Ansley Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Custer Christian School or the Ansley Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Sunday, November 17th from 1:00 to 6:00 PM, with family greeting 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow. Govier Brothers Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.govierbrothers.com

Dennis Wayne Stunkel was born on the Moody place northeast of Ansley, Nebraska on May 1, 1940, and was welcomed into the family of Walter and Lucy (Bose) Stunkel by two brothers and three sisters. The family eventually moved to Ansley where Dennis; starting at the age of six, always accompanied by his dog Keno, mowed lawns and did odd jobs to help the family out. He was baptized at the Ansley Baptist Church as a child and accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior at the age of ten. He contracted polio as a child, which left him with post-polio syndrome.

 Dennis was a bright and active child and attended grade school at Ansley. While in high school, he played football and was a member of choir and was honored to be part of the Nebraska State Choir. It was while in high school that he met the love of his life, Judy Mars. After Dennis graduated from Ansley High School in 1958, he went on to study at Kearney State Teachers College. He and Judy were married on August 2, 1959 at the Our Savior Lutheran Church in Broken Bow that his Grandpa Bose had helped build. To this union, three daughters were born; Denise in 1960, Teresa in 1961 and Rashelle in 1963, whom he delivered in the car on the way to the Broken Bow Hospital. Having neglected to mention to his mother the events surrounding the birth, she scolded him, “Why didn’t you tell me that you delivered the baby in the car?” He replied, “You didn’t ask!”

 They first lived in Ansley and the Hopewell District. The family attended the Ansley Baptist Church. Dennis worked at various jobs early in their marriage. While working construction, he helped build the new Becton Dickenson Plant. He soon began his career at BD where he spent 36 years working his way up from working nights on the assembly line to the Engineering Department, without the benefit of a college degree. Any time a machine broke down, he’d fix it and get back to work. Later in his career, he designed and created a piece of manufacturing equipment that was utilized in the plant in Broken Bow and implemented company wide.

 During this time, the family raised many different animals for hobby and for food. He had a swine farrow/feeder pig operation getting up by four a.m. to chore before heading to work only to head home to chore again. He always had a strong work ethic and passed it along to his daughters. He explained scientific principles to them and encouraged education. They were a family that worked  together and figured out how to make many things they needed. He worked persistently for most of his eighty-four years and expected those around him to do the same. He taught his family to, “Work even when you don’t want to!” Another one of his favorite sayings was, “There ain’t no cure for lazy!” He spent weekends in the summer putting up hay and managing the swine herd, but did take off time now and then to take the family on summer vacations to the mountains or go deer hunting with brothers and nephews in the fall. In 1992 Dennis and Judy moved from their acreage at Ansley, which was their daughter’s childhood home. They were building up their cattle herd and after “retiring” from BD, to ranch full time, moved to their present ranch home east of Broken Bow.

 Dennis’s calling was farming and ranching. He had a love for all animals and would give it his all to “doctor” them back to health. He had a knack for fixing anything that was broken that could possibly be fixed. Dennis was called upon to help many friends and family members. He inherited his inventiveness and industriousness from his German heritage and specifically from his Grandpa John Bose whose skills he admired. Most days he could be found either in the field, pasture or tinkering in the shop. He restored Ford 8N tractors and collected antiques, especially things connected with family history. In his later years, he enjoyed attending his grandkids’ school and 4-H events, checking the cattle with Judy and checking the bluebird boxes. He always treasured visits from the great-grandchildren. Dennis and Judy had worshiped at the Weissert Church for several years.  

He was welcomed into heaven on November 12, 2024, by his parents, father-in-law: Harold Mars, sons-in-law: Neil Peterson and Jerry Honeycutt, greatgrandchildren: Adeline Kaelin and Casey Ryan, siblings: Durward (Vera) Stunkel, Nadine (Edward) Sherbeck, Betty (Bob) Alexander, Inez (Vern) Clipperton, Dale (Darlene) Stunkel, and brothers-in-law: Raymond (Sue) Mars, Donald Mars, and Neal Mars.

 Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 65 years: Judy, their three daughters: Denise (Scott) Kaelin, Teresa Honeycutt, and Rashelle (Mike) Ryan, fourteen grandchildren: Joel (Becky) Kaelin, Nicole (Brice) King, Holly (Dustin) Oligmueller, Erin (Tim) Hayes, Megan (Nate) Thorson, Jessie (Jake) Dougherty, James (Blair) Ryan, Logan (Leah) Ryan, Blaine (Kristi) Ryan, Kathleen (Conner) Huckeby, Riley (Molly) Ryan, Falan Ryan, Brianna Ryan, and Kerry Ryan, twenty-three great-grandchildren: Aiden, Macie and Sadie Kaelin, Eli and Emersyn King, Reagan and Daxton Oligmueller, William, Edmond, Mary Kate, Rose, Lindsey and Emily Hayes, Kenton and Kendria Thorson, Hunter (Claire) and Colton Dougherty, Lucille Ryan, Cannon, Annie and Maddie Ryan, Kerra Huckeby, Samantha Ryan, and “one-on-the way,” sisters-in-law: Gerda Mars and Loretta Mars and many nieces, nephews and cousins. “Even death can’t keep us apart.”