Virgil John Kuennen

Virgil John Kuennen, 84, formerly of Lawler, passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Chautauqua Guest Homes #3 in Charles City.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, April 17, 2026 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Lawler with Father Nick Radloff celebrating the Mass. Bryan LeBar, Jeff Peterson, Martin Whiteford, John Reeg, and Erik Theroff will be serving as honorary pallbearers.

Visitation will be held Friday, April 17, 2026 from 10:00-10:30 a.m. at the church in Lawler prior to the service Friday.

Hugeback – Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton has been entrusted with arrangements.

Virgil was the first son of Raymond and Anna Kuennen and spent most of his life on the family farm near Lawler, Iowa, along with his younger siblings Robert and Madonna (Stephan). For some of his childhood, Virgil lived and was educated at St John’s School for The Deaf in Wisconsin. After his education, Virgil lived on the family farm, where he helped to farm, took long walks, picked up sticks (and often threw rocks) and attended church and other activities with Ray, Anna and Robert’s family. After their deaths, Virgil moved to Charles City, where he lived and was carried for by the kind, fantastic staff at Comprehensive Systems.

It was here that he settled in: enjoying days out working in a nearby workshop, trips to Dairy Queen for ice cream and doing activities with other residents. He was a good, kind, brother and uncle, who had a firm handshake and loved to play catch, do puzzles, the Iowa Hawkeyes, look at tractor books and take walks.

Virgil is survived by his sister, Madonna and nieces, Jodi (Reeg), Stacy (Kuennen), Jessica (LeBar), Katie (Stephan), Annie (Peterson) and many great nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Raymond and Anna (Kuehner) Kuennen; brother Robert (Pauline) Kuennen; brother-in-law Chris Stephan; and niece Rebecca Stephan.

Virgil’s family would like to the staff at Comprehensive Systems who looked after him for so many years and the staff at Chautauqua Guest Home #3 who cared for him in his final months. We are grateful for their compassionate kindness and care.

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