Lorraine Bunfill Unger, 87, of Ava, Mo., formerly of Rushville, died May 27, 2009. Lorraine Bunfill Unger, 87, of Ava, Mo., formerly of Rushville, died May 27, 2009.
She was born Aug. 27, 1921, in Brown County, Cooperstown Township in west central Illinois, a daughter of Fred and Marie Bunfill. She married Edwin Unger in 1943. He died in 1996.
She also was preceded in death by two brothers, Glenn Bunfill of Gainesville, Mo., and Lee Bunfill of Fayetteville, Ark.; one son, Neil Unger of Bloomington; one daughter, Elaine Unger Hulvey of Camden; and one granddaughter, Toni Lee Unger of Blandinsville and Macomb.
Surviving are one sister, Carol (and Arthur) VanGerpen of LaHabra, Calif.; one son, Allen Lee (and Glenda) Unger of Blandinsville; three daughters, Rosemary Unger (and Don) Sparrow of Cary, N.C., Lucy Darlene Unger of Charlotte, N.C., and Eloise Unger (and Leslie) Hallmark of Ava, Mo.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
She attended one-room rural schools, graduating from eighth grade in 1934. After four years in Rushville High School, she went to Western Illinois State Teachers College (now Western Illinois University) for two years, then taught in elementary grades for three years.
After becoming a mother, she began teaching again, and taught for 10 years in elementary grades. She taught special education classes in Schuyler County schools. She then went back to college to obtain her bachelors degree in education from WIU in December, 1972.
She served for several years as president of Schuyler County Chapter of Audubon Society and worked with local Kids for Conservation group, educating children about the wonders of the natural world. From 1981-1992, she wrote a weekly column entitled “Along Nature’s Trails”, that was published in Cass County Star-Gazette.
She did volunteer supplementary work in the kindergarten room at Plainview School, Douglas County, Mo.
She was active in the former Curry Chapel Church near Rushville, then the former Bethany Bible Church near Camden. Later, she was active in Good Hope General Baptist Church near her home and taught Women’s Bible study groups for 10 plus years in Douglas County.
Services were held Monday at Worthington Funeral Home in Rushville with Rev. A. Lee Unger officiating. Burial was in Langford Cemetery, Woodstock Township, Schuyler County.
Memorials may be made to Gideons International.
Condolences may be sent to www.worthingtonfh.com.