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In Remembrance

kris_brunker

Kris Brunker

Kristie Lyn Brunker passed away from Earth to Heaven on June 20, 2008, after a courageous 14-month battle with brain cancer. She started and ended each day with a prayer. All her energy throughout the illness was spent living life and loving her family. Kris’ life was made up three ingredients: family, children and faith.

Kris was born January 12, 1957, in Topeka, KS. She was a 1975 graduate of Seaman High School and obtained an associate degree in 1978 from Kansas State.

Kris gave her whole heart through compassion, energy and love to her family. Kris was raised in a Christian home by parents Mary and Duane Hudson.  She found the love of her life, Joe, and they were married 1997.

Joe and Kris were devoted to one another and to their two daughters, Julie and Stephanie.  Kris is also survived by her brother Kevin, a niece, a nephew, a godson, her sons-in-law, Jon and Jeremy, and many other extended family members. Her family shared laughter, movie nights, game nights, bakeoffs, gingerbread house contests, and birthday and holiday celebrations.

Kris loved children. For 20 years Kris taught preschool. She touched the lives of hundreds of children and families with incredible skill and compassion.  She could calm the anxious, soothe the frightened, connect with the detached and bring out the sparkle in every child.

She planted many seeds of learning. Her teaching didn’t stop at the preschool or at church. Kris used her teaching in the hospital while battling cancer. She taught strangers what courage looked like, and what hope looked like. In the chemotherapy room, she taught strangers what kindness looked like by talking with them or just by smiling at them.  She taught the doctors about empathy by asking them about themselves and about their families.

When she wasn’t in the hospital, she baked cookies for the hospital staff, friends or family. Kris loved to bake cookies and accompany the cookies with a note of encouragement and her unconditional love.

Kris was a faithful Christian woman who glorified God through teaching preschool and Sunday school and being a stay-at-home mom. Her strength of character, servant’s heart, and unconditional love for others exemplified her faith and impacted all. Kris taught us all what courage, faith, love and hope are all about. “HOPE is HUGE”.

Make a Donation in Honor of 

Kris Brunker