Tuesday, Feb. 26 2013 9:28AM
obituaries
Minnie Ruth Tunnell
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ReprintMinnie Ruth Tunnell
of Lee’s Summit left this world on Feb. 23, 2013. She was 94 years old. She had been a patient of Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton, Missouri since February 19, 2013.
Minnie Ruth Brassfield was born to Carl Shobe and Abbie Brassfield (Shobe) on March 2, 1918 in Humphreys, Mo. in the home. She was united in marriage to Earl Tunnell on February 22, 1940. They began their married life in Osgood, Mo. They celebrated 59 years of marriage. In those years, they lived in two different states, Missouri and California and traveled to Connecticut, Kentucky, Washington D.C. and Alaska to name a few.
Minnie Shobe was a lifelong school teacher. She started out in a one room school house in 1937 at the Black Oak School in Osgood, Mo. From there she taught in Chillicothe, then Kansas City. She obtained her teaching degree from Truman State University in 1948. She and her husband moved to Cupertino, Calif. in 1960 where she taught at Earl E. Warren School in Santa Clara, Calif. from which she retired in 1979.
Minnie was an active member of various Christian churches in communities she and her husband lived.
Minnie and her husband returned to Missouri to live in Branson in 1989. She and her husband were avid musicians. She played banjo and piano. She also sang in the choir. In the 1990’s Minnie was encouraged to learn to paint. She became an accomplished painter, even teaching other seniors to paint. One of her paintings can be found in a Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. as she had won recognitions as a senior artist.
She was proceeded in death by her husband; Earl Tunnell (1987), father, Carl Shobe (1966), mother, Abbie Shobe (1928) and one sister; Rosamay Easterday (2009).
Surviving family members are two brothers; Ralph Shobe of California, Robert Shobe of Kansas City, two sisters; Mina Ethyleen Sparks of Lee’s Summit and Doris Veeder of Tindall, Mo. Also she leaves behind several nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
All our hearts are filled with sorrow as we send her to our heavenly home. She will be greatly missed.
Visitation for family and friends will be held at Langsford Funeral Home in Lee’s Summit on Feb. 28 from 4:00 pm-6:00pm. Graveside services to be held at Campground Cemetery in Osgood, Mo. on Feb. 29 at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Disabled Veterans Association or St. Joseph’s Indian School, www.stjo.org.
(Arrangements: Langsford Funeral Home, 115 SW Third St, Lee’s Summit, 64063, 816-524-3700.)
