Joseph Carl Kuntz

Obituary for Joseph Carl Kuntz

Joseph Carl Kuntz.  Born October 23, 1925 on the family farm 7 ½ miles South of Platner, Colorado.  He departed this life on September 13, 2016 at the age of 90.

Being the 7th child in a family of 13, he always said he had the best of 2 lives, playing with the younger and working with the older.  He got his education from 8 grades in a small County school.  All 8 grades were taught by one teacher.    At the age of 16, he nearly lost his life, when struck on the leg by a large prairie rattlesnake.

On February 10th, 1944 he was drafted by the Army to serve in WWII.  After 9 months of training in California, he was shipped overseas as a mail carrier in the Signal Corps delivering bags of mail from Headquarters to Company Units at the front lines in France, Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany.  On May 18th, 1946 he was honorably discharged from the Service in Ft. Leavenworth Kansas, returning to his home in Otis, Colorado.  He became a lifetime member in the American Legion.

Working as a farm hand for various farmers and in a blacksmith shop in Otis for a few years he took the job as parts man and salesman at an Automotive and Implement dealership in 1949. 

In 1953, he married Joan Ferguson at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Akron, Colorado.  To this union two children were born, Shotsie Marie and Judy Ann.  With his knowledge in the parts business that helped to establish stores in Ft. Morgan, Brush, Yuma and Ft. Collins, they purchased the Wholesale Auto Parts business from P.C. Hansen in Yuma and received the NAPA franchise starting in Yuma Auto supply in 1961.  After selling the store in 1963, he and eight other stockholders got involved in building a large 4-wheel drive tractor in Kansas City, Kansas.  As their service man, the job kept him away from his wife and family. In 1966, he sold his interest in the business and returned home to Yuma, Colorado.   For the next 2 ½ years he was the tool manager for “Big R” Ranch Wholesale in Yuma.   His other jobs included being a sales representative for Big “A” auto parts out of Denver for Eastern Colorado, Western Nebraska and South Dakota; then liquidator for Buyrite Grocery and Country Dodge.   He retired in 1989. 

In 1991, he divorced Joan Kuntz and moved to Joes, Colorado where he met Bonnie Schmidt with whom he spent the rest of his life.  There he became active in the Kirk Lions Club receiving the Melvin Jones Humanitarian Award in 2002.  The sport of hunting and showing live rattlesnakes to schools and clubs were entertaining and gave him much enjoyment.  His love for tennis, playing cards and volunteering in his retirement also kept him active.  In 2014, he and Bonnie moved to Wray where they resided until the time of his death.

He is preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Susie Kuntz of Otis, brothers Mike of Haxtun, Leo of Otis, Clarence and Louie of Loveland, George of Colorado Springs, and Lawrence of Gillette, Wyoming, sisters Madeline Ryan of Denver and Josephine Woolery of Kennewick, Washington, and three nieces and nephews.   He is survived by Bonnie Schmidt of Wray, daughters Shotsie (Bill) Steinmiller of Greeley, Judy (Paul) Mares of Ft. Collins, grandchildren Missy (Brandon) Fantasia, Lindsey (Jake) Salzman of Greeley, Jacob (Katie) Vincent of Loveland, Jonah (Victoria) Vincent of Greeley, Jesse of Ft. Collins, and great grandchildren Skylor, Jaiden, Jace and Ella.  He is survived by his sister Rose McCoy of Ardmore, Oklahoma, John Kuntz of Arvada, Colorado, Charles Kuntz of Otis, Phil Kuntz of Graham, Texas and forty-one nieces and nephews.  

Donations in Joe’s memory can be made to Hospice of the Plains, 1017 W. 7th, Wray 80758, or Grassroots Community Building, 6671 Hwy 36, Joes, Colorado 80822.