Leone Kathryn Dunkelberg

Leone Kathryn Dunkelberg, 97, passed away, January 17, 2025, in her home with her two sons, Kermit and Kendall, by her side. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to her family, and a caring friend and neighbor to many in Osage and far beyond, and she was blessed to celebrate the holidays with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Leone was born at home on a farm near Deep River, Iowa on June 6, 1927 to Arthur Henry Schultz and Frances Kitzmann Schultz. She was baptized in 1927 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in rural Victor, Iowa and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church, Millersburg, Iowa in 1940. She attended Dayton Center country school for eight years and high school at Millersburg and Thornburg, Iowa graduating in 1945. She was proud to have taken her nurses’ training at Iowa Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines as a member of the final class of the United States Cadet Nurse program, graduating in 1948. Though not called to active service overseas, she worked at Veteran’s Hospital in Des Moines for four years and in the summer of 1952 at Iowa Lutheran Hospital with the Red Cross during the polio epidemic. She later worked as full- and part-time nurse at Mitchell County Memorial Hospital in Osage for 34 years. She was married to Albert Gibbs Dunkelberg on September 7, 1950, and they lived in Osage for 50 of their 53 years of marriage. Leone’s activities and interests revolved around her family, church and friends. She was a Girl Scout leader for 5 years. She was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church where she served as Sunday School and Bible School teacher many years and was active in the women’s groups serving as Ladies Aid officer and member of Elizabeth Circle. She served on the American Cancer Society board for 20 years and five years with the Heart Association. She enjoyed volunteering at the Mitchell County Museum, meeting with neighbors and friends for monthly birthdays, and gathering with the Bread n’ More supper club. She was also an avid traveler, reader, and gardener. She is survived by her two sons Kermit Dunkelberg (Kim Mancuso) and Kendall Dunkelberg (Kim Whitehead), her son-in-law Rudy Lucero, grandchildren Elizabeth (Kyle) Hillman, Michael (Rachel) Lucero, Zoë Mancuso Dunkelberg, Aidan Whitehead Dunkelberg, and great-grandchildren Kathryn and Ira, two foreign exchange student ‘sons’ George Ulrich (Judith Asher and sons Joshua and Samuel) of Venice, Italy, and Jon Morten Mangersnes (Sissel and children Maria, Birgit and Lars) of Oslo, Norway, as well as her brother David (Darlene) Schultz of Fort Dodge, Iowa, brother-in-law Pete Dunkelberg of Orlando, Florida, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband Albert Gibbs Dunkelberg, daughter Kathryn Lucero, parents Arthur and Frances Schultz, brother Arthur Schultz, and sisters Marilyn Piepenbrink and Getrude Roorda, brother-in-law Ray Piepenbrink, and sisters-in-law Norma Schultz and Marion Mulvihill. A visitation will be held on Thursday January 23,2025 at 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and the funeral on Friday, January 24,2025at 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Osage, Iowa. Burial will be at the Osage Cemetery. The family thanks the wonderful staff of St. Croix Hospice and R Loving Care for all they have done to help Leone stay in her home of seventy years, which meant so much to her. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 833 Ash St., Osage, The American Cancer Society, or a charity of your choice. Champion Funeral Home of Osage is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.schroederfuneralhomes.com.