Lorraine Donelda (Lukenbill) Gunter

Lorraine Gunter

1935 – 2019

On January 29, 1935, Lorraine Donelda Lukenbill was born in Swan River, Manitoba to Durward and Effie Lukenbill.

When she was about twelve years old, her parent separated and Lorraine spent a couple of summer holidays during this time with her aunts, Myrtle Evans and Dorothy Hiller in Flin Flon, Manitoba. This is when Mom went to Sunday School and became a Christian. Her faith was the core of her life.

Lorraine took schooling at country schools, finishing grade school. She went out to work at age sixteen. Later at age forty-two, she went back to school, and graduated with her GED, an accomplishment of which she was very proud.

She married Hank Church on March 2, 1952 and they raised five children. Hank passed away in 1988. With her second marriage to Wes Gunter on June 21, 1986, they blended their two families into one loving unit with the addition of Wes’ two daughter and all their families.

She loved art, music, poetry, and was talented in all these fields. She was an accomplished seamstress, making many wedding gowns, etc. Lorraine loved to travel and even learned to enjoy plane rides, camping, fishing, and writing in her journals. Family was so important to her. She wanted her family to remember her for the unconditional love she had for them and all her grandchildren, great grandchildren, brothers and sisters and their families, and her stepdaughters, Bev and Barb, and their children and grandchildren. “Remember to love one another as I have loved you.”

On October 17, 2019, Lorraine Donelda Gunter of Swan River, Manitoba passed away at the age of 84 years.

She will be loving remembered by her children, Julie L. Bell of Bowsman; Wayne (Janet) Church of Swan River; Dianna (Ed) Reeves of Swan River; Penny (Lanny) Bokovoy of Missoula, Montana; Kevin Church of Bellsite; Barb Miller; and Bev Levine; all of her grandchildren, and great grandchildren and their families; sister, Marlene (Glen) Ridgeway of Colgate, Saskatchewan; brothers, Maurice (Bev) Defoe of Blackfalds, Alberta; Wayne (Shelley) Defoe of Minitonas.

She is predeceased by her parents, Effie Defoe (Leo) and Durward Lukenbill (Violet); other siblings; her first husband, Harold Henry Church (Hank), and her second husband John Wesley Gunter (Wes); and son in law Ronald Bell.

A funeral service was held on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. from Little Woody Baptist Church with Pastor Vlad Makyeyev officiating. Interment followed in the Birchwood Cemetery, Swan River, Manitoba.

If friends so desire, donations in Lorraine’s memory may be made to Swan River Food Bank or to Gideons International in Canada.

Swan Valley Funeral Services

363 Kelsey Trail, Swan River, Manitoba

204-734-5775 www.swanvalleyfuneralservices.com

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