Geraldine “Grandma” Dunkl, 88

Geraldine Dunkl, born Aug. 27, 1934, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022 with family by her side after a brief battle with kidney cancer. She was 88 years old.

The celebration of life services are on Jan. 7, 2023 at 2 p.m. at Easthaven Baptist Church, 2010 Whitefish Stage Rd. in Kalispell. Please send flowers and donations to the church in care of Geraldine Dunkl.

Geraldine was born to George and Effie LaHood of St. Paul, Minnesota.

She was raised on her family farm where she had many chores including feeding over 500 chickens, several pigs, cows and sheep.

After graduating high school in 1951 she worked as a car hop waitress at the local A&W root beer stand.

In 1953 she met the love of her life, Freddy Dunkl, at a Harlem Globetrotters game, and in February 1955 they married. Together they had six children; Theresa Armstrong of Sacramento, California; Michael Dunkl of Sacramento; Beverly Heroux of Fort Bragg, California; Jim Dunkl of Kalispell; Tom Dunkl of Yuba City, California; and Angel Brewer of Junction City, California.

After they married they settled down in St. Paul until 1971, in 1971 the family moved to Arizona and then in 1976 to California. Geraldine lived in Sacramento until 2019 and then she moved to Kalispell where she lived with her son Jim and granddaughter Brittany.

She loved Montana. She enjoyed playing bingo at Del’s Bar in Somers where she was well known to all as “Grandma.”

She was preceded in death by both her parents; 7 brothers; 3 sisters; her son Michael and one grandson Orion Franklin. She is survived by her one sister Bernie Drager of St. Paul; 5 children; 20 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren and many more nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was loved by everyone who met her. She had a smile that was infectious and a sweet spirit that brought happiness and joy to all who met her.

Some of the great passions she had in life were bingo and sewing. She was a talented artist. She will be greatly missed by all of us who had the privilege to know her. We all love and miss you so much.