February 1, 1948 – November 3, 2022

Glenn Gunnink, 74, of Edgerton,  passed away Thursday, November 3, 2022, at his home.  A memorial service was held Friday, November 11, 2022; 10:30 a.m., at the First Reformed Church, Edgerton, with Rev. Matthew De Boer officiating. Interment was in Hillside Cemetery, Edgerton.

Music for the service was provided by Vonda Talsma singing The Lord’s Prayer and the congregation singing In Sweet Communion, How Great Thou Art, and Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Brenda Kooi was organist and Vicki Van Essen was pianist.

Pallbearers were grandchildren.

Glenn Harris Gunnink was born February 1, 1948, to Gerrit J. and Henrietta (Menning) Gunnink. He was the 8th child born to the couple, who would have 10 children. Glenn, who was known since a young age as Corky, attended Free Christian School and SWCH through the 9th grade.

Glenn married Irene Samuelson on July 29, 1966, at the United Methodist Church in Lake Wilson. Throughout their life together, the couple made their home in Cottonwood, Bemidji, and Edgerton, Minnesota. They lived for a brief time in Michigan where Glenn sold cookware.

In 1980, he moved his family back to an acreage north of Edgerton where he and Irene milked cows and Glenn custom baled for a few years. But sales was in his blood, so he began working for Schaeffer Manufacturing as an oil salesman on Sept. 17, 1985. He enjoyed a long career with Schaeffer and loved his work.

Glenn was a member of the Edgerton Protestant Reformed Church, where he was baptized and made Profession of Faith. He served as both an elder and a deacon and on the school board at Free Christian School where his children were students.

Glenn was a fisherman and a hunter and passed a love for these things along to his children and grandchildren. He especially loved taking his grandkids fishing and hunting. He helped most of his grandchildren achieve their hunter’s safety certificate.

When Glenn was 14, he worked for Fred Stevens who taught him how to butcher animals. This was a skill that Glenn passed on to his wife, children, and grandchildren. Cleaning and eating what they caught – whether that be a rabbit or a walleye or a deer – was a principle that Glenn stressed to his grandchildren.

Glenn always enjoyed spending time having coffee with his group of friends from the Chandler area. He believed in Christian education and stressed the need to love God and work hard.

Glenn is survived by his wife of 56 years, Irene; five children, Shela Gunnink of Edgerton, Jeff and (Kris) Gunnink of Chandler, Daniel and (Dana) Gunnink of Edgerton, Jill and (Michael) Fennema of Edgerton, and Sarah and (Doug) Vlietstra of Kalamazoo, Mich.; two sisters, Betty Jean (Harvey) Ross of Tucson, Ariz., and Julie Hanson of Denver, Colo.; four brothers, Bernard (Karen) Gunnink of Hardwick, John (Kim) Gunnink of Edgerton, Duane (Shirley) Gunnink of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Darwin (Peggy) Gunnink of Aztec, N. Mex.; two sisters-in-law Janet Gunnink of Apple Valley,  Minn., and Arlene Hunsberger of Grand Rapids; 17 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and two step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers: Art Gunnink, Jerold Gunnink, and Henry Gunnink; granddaughter Leah Grace Gunnink, and brothers-in-law Larry Hanson and Johnny Menning.