Vera Kuennen

Veronica “Vera” M. Kuennen, age 97 of Lawler, Iowa died Monday, February 9, 2009, at the New Hampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, February 12, 2009, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, Lawler with Rev. David Beckman celebrating the Mass. The pall will be placed by her children. Lector for the service is Vernon Kuennen. Presenting the offertory gifts are Vera's daughter-in-laws; Andrea Kuennen, Alice Kuennen, Linda Kuennen and Betsy Kuennen. Organist will be Andy Kuennen accompanying Sherri Achen as vocalist. Interment will be in the church cemetery with Ronald Kuennen, Jerome Kuennen, Robert Kuennen, William Kuennen, Vernon Kuennen and Dan Cahalan serving as pallbearers. Friends may call 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 11, 2009, at Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home, Lawler where there will be a 4:00 p.m. Rosary and a 6:00 p.m. Scripture service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at church. Vera was born June 27, 1911, on the Lusson Family Farm near St. Lucas, IA, the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Drilling) Lusson. She received her education at St. Luke’s School and the Immaculate Conception Academy in Dubuque. On September 16, 1935, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, St. Lucas, she married William H. Kuennen. To this union seven children were born. The couple farmed by St. Lucas until 1946 and then moved to a farm by Lawler. The couple later moved to their acreage outside Lawler. On August 6, 1991, William Kuennen died. Vera worked on the farm, raised her chickens and sold eggs. She also raised roasters and held many Sunday dinners of fried chicken. She volunteered many hours for activities at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. Vera loved gardening, crocheting, sewing and was a member of ACCW, the Lawler Senior Citizens and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Survivors include one daughter, Helen (Dan) Cahalan of Rockwell, IA; five sons, Ronald Kuennen of Lawler, Jerome (Andrea) Kuennen of Burnsville, MN, Robert (Alice) Kuennen of Cedar Falls, William (Linda) Kuennen of Cedar Rapids, Vernon (Betsy) Kuennen of Davenport; 21 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Dorothy Kuennen of St. Lucas. She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Dorothy in infancy; her husband, William; a granddaughter, Mary Cahalan in infancy; a daughter-in-law, Kay Kuennen; two brothers, Ed and Herbert Lusson and five sisters, Florence Bodenstiener, Katherine Kuennen, Victoria Jones, Eleanor Franzen and Lorraine Baldwin.