Obituary: Stuenkel, Pearl R.

STUENKEL, Pearl R.

Pearl R. Stuenkel, Spokane, WA went peacefully to be with her Lord on April 12, 2012, six days after her 85th birthday.

Pearl was born in Faribault, MN to Adolph and Adeline Schulz on April 6, 1927.

Pearl is survived by her husband, Rev.

Omar Stuenkel; her brother, Donald Schulz of Roseburg, OR; her daughter, Lynn (Kerwin) Palan of Dundas, MN; her son, Roger Rueber of Seattle, WA; her grandchildren, Tammy Drentlaw, and Tracie (Tim) Solum of Northfield, MN; six great-grandchildren; as well as four step-children David (Judy), Omar T. Jr. (Joy), Edward (Mary Beth) and Rita (Dennis) Schmidt; nine step-grandchildren and seven step-great-grandchildren.

Pearl was preceded in death by her first husband, Gilbert Rueber, and her sisters, Elaine Stuenkel and Florence (Willard) Drewitz.

After her graduation from Faribault High School, Pearl went to Dayton, WA to live with her sister, Elaine.

There Pearl was employed at Green Mountain Canneries and there she met and married Gilbert Rueber in 1947.

After a few years in Dayton the Ruebers moved to Owatonna, MN where Pearl was employed for many years at Federated Insurance Co. After her husband’s death in 1977, Pearl worked for a time for the Minnesota Legislature as a secretary.

On November 21, 1979 Pearl was united in marriage with Omar Stuenkel and subsequently they lived successfully in Cleveland, Ohio; Eden Prairie, MN; Owatonna, MN; Bella Vista, AR and Coeur d’Alene, ID.

Pearl was adept at hand-quilting and produced more than 15 quilts, some of them prize-winners.

She loved taking care of flower beds and house plants and also loved fishing.

For 17 years she and Omar had a cottage on Lake Washburn, Outing, MN.

All her life Pearl was a faithful and devoted member of Lutheran churches.