Erna Edeltraud (Holzinger) Kunkle

Erna (Holzinger) Kunkle, 78, of Alliance, formerly of Sebring, went Home to spend eternity with her Lord and her husband on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at Danbury Senior Living Center, surrounded by her family. Erna was born on July 7, 1939, in Komatau, the daughter of the late Hermann and Marianne Holzinger.

Erna is survived by her daughter Heidi (Jeffrey) Dalton of Alliance; two sons, Peter (Kathy) Kunkle of Kernersville, NC, and Michael Kunkle of Ashtabula. She leaves behind grandchildren whom she loved dearly, Anna (Edward) Powers, Zach Dalton, and Heidi (Josh) Tufte; and two great-grandchildren who were the joy of her life, Cora Powers and Izabella Tufte.

Following her birth and early childhood in Komatau, Erna was raised in Ulm, Germany until marrying her husband, Orrin Elwood Kunkle, after which she moved to Alliance, Ohio and later Sebring, Ohio where she was a homemaker, always placing her family first. Erna became a United States Citizen on April 29, 1970, an accomplishment she held in high esteem. She and her husband still held onto a love for Germany and their rich traditions, and would travel back to her homeland many times throughout the course of their marriage.

Erna was a gentle, gracious soul who loved the Lord. She was a member of Pine Lake Christian Church in Sebring. Erna also cherished people, especially children, and served her entire life with love and compassion for everyone she met. She made countless plates of her original family recipe, Apfelstrudel (apple strudel), and distributed those to family, neighbors, and friends who always loved receiving her delicacy, given straight from her heart. She will be remembered for the legacy of love that she modeled beautifully as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.

Erna was preceded in death by her husband, Orrin Elwood Kunkle, and her parents, Marianne and Hermann Holzinger.

In remembrance of Erna, an act of kindness done for another person this week would honor her legacy of loving others well.

A funeral service will be held on April 3 at 1 PM at Pine Lake Christian Church with Pastor Tom Palmer officiating. Visitation will be held the hour prior to the service from 12 PM to 1 PM. Interment will take place at Grandview Cemetery. Friends may send condolences and sign the guest register online at www.grfuneralhome.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Gednetz-Ruzek-Brown Funeral Home, Sebring, 330-938-2526.