Jerrlea “Dunn” Puntch

Puntch, Jerrlea “Dunn”, 68, elementary teacher, died Tuesday, January 18, 2011. Memorial service 1:00 p.m., Monday, January 24, Mid-America All Indian Center. One of Jerris greatest passions in life was her teaching. Her teaching career spanned 37 years in Wichita, Pratt and Grand Junction, Colorado schools teaching gifted children and later English as a Second language classes to children new to America. It grieved her when illness forced her to an early retirement. During summers, she volunteered at the McCurdy School in Espanola, New Mexico. She grew to love and appreciate the Native Americans in the surrounding pueblos and later served on the Board of Directors on the Mid-America All Indian Center. In addition to her teaching and volunteer work she was an avid outdoorswoman who loved the Rocky Mountains, skiing, camping, hiking and trout fishing. Preceded in death by parents, Broyce and Clara (Thonhoff) Johnson. Survivors: husband, Jim; sister, Jolene Schwertfeger of Broomfield, CO; children, Christopher Lunt of Portland, OR, C. Shane Lunt of Boston, MA, Ken Dunn of Ackworth, GA, Jason Dunn of Phoenix, AZ, Garth Christy of Madison, WI, Taylor Brunner of Weatherford, TX and Ben Puntch of Madison, WI; 7 grandchildren. Memorials have been established with the Mid-America All Indian Center, 650 N. Seneca, Wichita, 67203 and Jerri Puntch Scholarship Fund, c/o McCurdy Mission School, 261 S. McCurdy Rd., Espanola, NM, 87532-6731. Downing Lahey Mortuary East.