Irma Eisinger Gunn

Irma Eisinger Gunn was born on March 14, 1919 in Hohenau, Austria, a small town near Vienna. She was the youngest of 7 children. After completing school and working in Austria for a few years, she moved to Manchester, England, where she rode her bicycle to work and then delivered milk in an electric van. While there, she met her future husband, George Gunn, of Mt. Pleasant, Tex., who was serving in the Air Force during World War II. They were soon married in the Church of England in Manchester on February 3, 1945, and Irma moved to the United States with George and their son, Peter, after the end of the war. They lived in Arkansas for a few years before moving to Walden, Colorado, where they raised their family of five children: Peter, Mary, Jo, Sharon, and Annette. George and Irma were married for 64 years.

Though small in stature, Irma had a big personality and a warm smile, and she made friends wherever she went. She loved food and cooking, and always welcomed guests to share in their meal, which included plenty of down-home food, homemade bread, and always, one of her homemade desserts. Her favorite German foods were often on the menu.  Christmas was not complete without Irma’s famous vanilla kipferl cookies, and she gave a batch to all of her children for many years. She will be dearly missed by her children and extended family, and her many friends in Walden, Co., Fort Collins, Co., Hughes Springs, Tex. and Cove, Ark.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George Gunn, in 2009; son Peter Gunn in 1980; her parents, Moritz and Josephine Sax Eisinger; and all of her siblings, Jacob, Frieda, Annie, Ida, Ignaz, and Oscar.

She is survived by four daughters and two sons-in-law, Mary Gunn, Jo and Jack Reed, Sharon Shook, and Annette and Dean DeGroot; grandchildren and spouses, Jerry Gunn, Shannon and Jamie O’Leary, Alan and Donna Sage, Tanya Hixon, Eric and Sarah Donley, Justin and Jeannie Shook,  Felicia and Brian Ball, Cody DeGroot, Cory DeGroot; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Irma’s family is very grateful to Sharon Shook, who moved to Cove to live with and take care of her parents in their later years. Special thanks to Rosella Manasco Brown, who has been a dear friend over many years and visited, called, shared afternoon coffee, and filled-in to take care of Irma when help was needed.

Dates and times are tentative. Visitation will be from 5 -7 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2015, at Beasley-Wood Funeral Home in Mena.  A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Cove.  Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at Farmer’s Academy Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Texas, under the direction of the Beasley Wood Funeral Home of Mena.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Cove or to Ouachita Regional Hospice.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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