Kuennen, Randy 1959 - 2024
KUENNEN, HUINKER, AMELING, NOST, NOVOTNY, KEUNE, GUIDICE, TIMP, EINCK, BROCKMEYER, BRANDT, KOENIG, JOHNSON, HICKS, WILUSZ, HERTGES
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 10/12/2024 at 11:35:39
Randy Kuennen age 65 of Festina, IA, passed away on October 8, 2024, at his home after a short battle of cancer.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, October 14, 2024, at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Festina, Iowa, with Rev. Donald Hertges officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2:00-6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the Festina Community Center. There will be no visitation prior to the service on Monday.
Randy was born on April 17, 1959 to Clarence and Geneva (Huinker) Kuennen in Decorah, IA. He was the seventh child of 13, the first son. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Lukes Catholic Church in St. Lucas. He attended grade school at St. Lukes Catholic School and graduated from South Winneshiek High School, with the class of 1977. Randy was a member of Our Lady of Seven Dolors in Festina. He was a man of his faith. He enjoyed listening to the rosary during Lent and Sunday morning mass in the barn.
Randy married Jackie Ameling on August 29, 1981, and they raised three daughters – Ashley, Brittany, and Courtney. Just because he was blessed with girls didn’t mean they weren’t farmers. He instilled a strong work ethic into his girls and if it wasn’t done right, he let them know. A common phrase that rang out on the Kuennen farm was “And don’t be late for chores!”
In his younger days, Randy enjoyed truck and tractor pulls, going to the races, riding roller coasters, and hunting. He worked in construction before moving to the farm in 1986.
After Randy started farming, he still found time to play slow-pitch softball at Silver Springs with the Ossian Vet Clinic team, enjoyed playing cards uptown, and gambling at the casino. But his real love was farming. Farming his land brought him great joy, along with milking cows. He missed only a handful of milkings over 38 years and milked right up until his diagnosis. That was his passion, and it started as a little boy farming alongside his family. He wouldn’t have traded in a single day—it was never a job. He was dedicated to his cattle, up until the end. Even too busy doing chores to get out of the uniloader for the hospice nurse. He was the epitome of a hard-working steward of the land. Randy also loved collecting Oliver tractors—he had a massive collection of real tractors, toy tractors, and memorabilia.
Fall 2023 was Randy’s final harvest and the best harvest he had ever had. He joined the 300-bushel club and was so proud of that accomplishment. Although he was sick, he still was able to get his last crop in the ground this past spring. Harvest season was his favorite.
Randy enjoyed his daily lunch visits to the Zipper (he loved food), watching thunderstorms roll in (unless there was hay down), trying to guess all his Christmas presents (“sounds like clothes again” as he shook every package), large family gatherings (especially the holidays), Mt. Dew, and getting into shenanigans with his best friend Ryan and godson Blake, including their annual trip to the Dyersville Toy Show. He was always “busy”, even when he really wasn’t. He enjoyed watching the Packers, Hawkeyes, and Cubs, but was never afraid to admit when they were bad. Randy knew how to dish it out and was always ready with a sarcastic one-liner. He was also very competitive and if you were going to win, you had to earn it—he never went easy on anyone. He was often the biggest kid in the room and was notorious for falling asleep anywhere. He was a social person, loved spending time with friends, and had a gift for coming up with bizarre nicknames for them.
Randy was blessed with three grandchildren and they were the center of his world. One of his greatest joys was being a “Bopa” and they adored him. Their first words and their first question—“Where’s Bopa?” He enjoyed watching Dr. Pol and eating donuts at 10 pm with Indie, doing chores and cruising in the uniloader with Bowen, and sharing his love of food, naps, and ranger rides with Bristol. One of Randy’s favorite parts of harvest was combining with his grandkids. He was excited to meet grandbaby #4 in March.
We’re so glad that he’s free of the awful disease cancer is. We will miss him terribly but know he’s in a place where the harvest is always bountiful, the cows never get out, fences never need to be fixed, and each day ends with a beautiful sky. What a view he must have!
He is survived by his wife Jackie; daughters Ashley (Matt) Nost of Solon; Brittany (Ben) Novotny of Protivin; and Courtney Kuennen of Cedar Falls. Grandchildren Indie and Bowen Nost, and Bristol Novotny. Siblings Sue Keune, Marion; Jean Kuennen, Rochester MN; Karen (Don) Guidice, Chugwater, WY; Clarice (Harvey) Timp, Calmar; Sandy (Joe) Timp, Castalia; Cindy (Norm) Einck, West Union; Lisa (Al) Brockmeyer, Calmar; Dale Kuennen, Calmar; Jackie (Lance) Brandt, West Des Moines; Loren (JoAnn) Kuennen, Ossian; Mark (Linda) Kuennen, Fort Atkinson; Jeff (Kristin) Kuennen, Marion. In-laws Judy Hertges, Ossian; John (Dawn) Ameling, Toddville; Janet (Roger) Koenig, Ossian; Joannie Ameling, Ossian; Joan (Gary) Johnson, Cedar Rapids; Joyce (Rod) Hicks, Chattanooga, TN; Joey Ameling, Fort Atkinson; Julie (Ralph) Ameling, Harpers Ferry. His large family included many nieces and nephews and their families. He is also survived by his aunts and uncles; Arlene Huinker, Bernice Huinker, Donna Kuennen, Mary Jo Kuennen, Arlene Wilusz, and Jerry (Margaret) Kuennen.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Geneva Kuennen; his in-laws Clarence and Ida Ameling; brothers-in-law Dick Hertges, Jerry Ameling, and Gary Keune; nephew Troy Hertges; niece Madison Gibson; and his two most loyal companions, Lilly and Jaz.
Source: Helms Funeral Home database
Our Lady of Seven Dolors Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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