He was born Dec. 28, 1916, the third child of Fred Washington Gunkel and Bertha Lemon (Hopkins) Gunkel. He was born at the Gunkel home in Bentley. He remembered moving to the Eldorado area with his family in a covered wagon in 1921. He attended Antioch Country School through the sixth grade. He was baptized in Sandy Creek, west of Eldorado, and became a member of the First Baptist Church. He graduated from Eldorado High School in 1936 as valedictorian of his class. He played baseball and participated in school plays. He received a scholarship to attend business college in Oklahoma City following high school.
Following business college, he worked briefly in Houston. In 1939, he started working in the Eldorado International Harvester business as parts manager and bookkeeper. It was during this time that he found the love of his life. He started dating Lucille Martin, a school teacher at Gould. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Feb. 23, 1942, and was assigned to Camp Barkley in San Antonio, for basic training. At the end of the school year, he asked Lucille to marry him. The were married in San Antonio on May 30, 1942.
During World War II, he served in England and France with a field artillery unit, reaching the rank of staff sergeant. After the war ended, he was sent back to the United States and was discharged from the army in March 1946. He purchased the International Harvester dealership in Eldorado, in partnership with Kenneth Ledgerwood, and later bought full interest in the business. He was the IH dealer in Eldorado for more than 29 years, before retiring in July 1975.
Throughout his life, he was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church, serving as deacon, Sunday School secretary and choir member. He was a 62 year member of the Masonic Lodge, serving as Worship Master and then as secretary for over 40 years. He achieved the Master Mason rank in 1946. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite, 32nd degree.
He and Lucille had two children, Charles and Sue. He delighted in the marriages of his children and the birth of his grandchildren, as well as his first great-grandchild.
He was an avid golfer, and following his retirement, he once held joint memberships in both the Quanah, Texas, and Altus Country Clubs so he could play with different partners on different days of the week. He was also a very competitive domino player. He enjoyed watching all types of sports events on television and reading novels. Attending family reunions and visiting family all over the county were also special activities for him.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant brother, R.J. Gunkel; older brother, Ewing Gunkel; and two sisters, Gladys (Gunkel) Thurmond and Elizabeth (Gunkel) Klein.
He is survived by his wife, Lucille, a resident of Plantation Village Nursing Home; children, Charles and wife Carol Gunkel of Tulsa and Sue and husband Harold Peyton of Sac City, Iowa; grandchildren, Andy and Julie (Gunkel) Long of Colorado Springs, Colo., Josh and Jessica Gunkel of Mableton, Ga., Jeffrey and Rebekah Gunkel of Nashville, Kevin Peyton and Amy Peyton of Sac City; great-granddaughter, Alexandria Morgan Long of Colorado Springs; six brothers and sisters, Syble Holly of Huntsville, Texas, Theaola Lynn of Grover Beach, Calif., Francis Watkins of Lawton, J.C. (Jake) Gunkel of Duncan, Geneva Kirkpatrick of Lawton, and Ethel Kinberger of Folsom, La.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church in Eldorado with the Rev. Pete Wylie officiating. Burial will follow at the Eldorado Cemetery under the direction of Kincannon Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Kincannon Funeral Chapel in Eldorado.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, 820 W. Main, Eldorado, OK 73537.
Online tributes may be made at www.kincannonfuneralhome.com.
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