Betty J. (Duvall) Gunder

Betty Jane Gunder, age 89, of Shelby, passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 16, 2009, in her home as she had wished, just two weeks before her 90th birthday.

She was the beloved wife for almost 60 years of the late Charles Pete Gunder, who predeceased her in 2002, and loving mother of two sons, Richard L. Gunder (Sharon) of Mansfield, and Gregory A. Gunder (Shelagh) of Cold Spring, NY. She was dearly loved by her two grandsons, Brian R.Gunder (Wendy) and Scott M. Gunder (Sherri), both of Shelby, her granddaughter, Laura K. Gunder of Cold Spring, NY, and her two great-grandchildren, Andrew S. and Samantha R. Gunder of Shelby. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Jess Riedel of Crestline, and her nieces and nephews, Patty, Jerry, Sandy, and Steve. She was preceded in death by her sister, Maxine Riedel, her brother, William Duvall, and her granddaughter-in-law, Tikara Tiki Gunder.

Betty was born July 5, 1919, in Mansfield, Ohio, daughter of the late Herbert Duvall and Laura Ann Hormell. Always practical, she changed her name legally from Elizabeth Jeanette to Betty Jane as a young woman. A 1937 graduate of Ontario High School, she worked first as a secretary at Mansfield Tire Co., and married Pete on October 10, 1942, in Mansfield. While raising her family, Betty worked with the Home Demonstration Counsel of the Richland County Extension Office, serving as President for Richland County and, in 1956, for the State of Ohio. She was an active member of the Farm Bureau and the Union Grange in Shelby, and a 4-H Advisor. In 1959 and 1964 she served as a Farm Census Taker, focusing on statistics of farming families, and in 1960 she received a Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award from the Cleveland Farmer’s Club, the only woman to receive this award from the 22 counties represented. Betty went on to a successful career in retail sales and management, working at Montgomery Ward from 1963 until her retirement in 1981. She received numerous sales awards, including Top Department (Akron Region) in 1976 and Top Ten Sales Managers (Akron Region) in 1977, and was beloved by her employees. She was a member of the Ontario Felines and the Ontario VFW Auxiliary, AARP, and an active member for many years of Trinity United Methodist Church in Shelby. She will be greatly missed by her family and her many dear friends.

Friends may call on Monday, June 22, 2009 from 5-7 pm at the Turner Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby, where funeral services will be conducted at 7 pm by Rev. Karl Stonebreaker. Graveside services will be held at 11 am Tuesday at Mansfield Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to be made to the Tikara Tiki Bloom Gunder Memorial Scholarship fund.

Online condolences may be made at penwellturner.com