Camela "Camy" Jo Lunzman

Camy was born November 23, 1951, to Marvin E. and Dorene A. (Burns) Miller in Ida Grove, IA. She was baptized in January 1952, and confirmed in May 1966, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ida Grove. She grew up with three sisters; Peggy, Cindy, Misti, and one brother, Tracey.

Growing up she was in Girl Scouts, on the swim team, and played softball. In high school she was a cheerleader, a baton twirler with the marching band, and played basketball. In her senior year she was a candidate for homecoming queen.

On January 12, 1968, she went on a date with Jim to the bowling alley during lunch hour. She left the bowling alley with her future husband, Steve Lunzman.

After graduating in 1970 she worked at Hood’s Pharmacy in Ida Grove. In 1972 she worked at King’s Food Host in Omaha, NE while she and her sister Peggy completed training at CEC School of Commerce.

Camy was engaged to Stephen V. Lunzman on Christmas Day 1972, and they married on May 27, 1973. After a brief honeymoon they lived in Joliet, IL where Steve worked summers/winters in the Caterpillar Tractor Co. co-op program. During fall/spring quarters they lived in Ames, IA where Camy worked at King’s while Steve studied mechanical engineering at Iowa State University.

They moved to Peoria, IL in 1975, and in 1976 were thrilled at the birth of their first daughter, Katie Scarlett. They moved to their first home in 1978. Amber Nicole was born on Camy’s birthday in 1981, and Erika Jo was born two days before her birthday in 1982! Camy had wished for a little girl with red hair like Steve, and she got three of them! All three girls attended Concordia Lutheran School, where Camy served as a room mother, and taught Sunday School.

Camy attended Illinois Central College in Peoria part time for four years and graduated as a registered nurse in 1990. She was overjoyed to accept a position in the Mother Baby Unit at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where she worked for over 20 years before retiring in 2011. She loved babies, working primarily in the nursery, and in 2005 became a Certified Lactation Consultant.

In the summer of 1990 Camy and Steve took on the project of building a house. With Steve doing much of the work, Camy drove the girls up to the work site every day so they could eat lunch as a family.

She was blessed with her first two grandchildren in 2010 and was able to retire at age 59 to spend time caring for them. Four more grandchildren would follow, the last being born in 2022.

She was an avid reader of romance novels, books on nutrition and health, and read the entire Bible twice.

During her retirement years, Camy and Steve enjoyed traveling by RV, venturing as far as Texas, and making annual trips to Nashville for an early spring. She loved flowers, planting multitudes every year. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and she had accumulated a collection of Christmas decor that took weeks to install. She also loved shopping with her daughters, visiting her hometown of Ida Grove, and playing nickels with her sisters.

Survived by husband Steve; daughters Katie Lunzman of Peoria, Amber Sampier (Kevin) of Trivoli, IL, Erika Atkinson (Keith) of Chillicothe, IL; sisters Peggy Rainbow of Madison, WI, Cindy Duitsman of Sac City, IA, and Misti Baker of Ida Grove, IA. Grandchildren are Annika, Kevin, Kristen, Malcolm, Clara, and Victor.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and brother, Tracey Miller.

Cremation rites have been accorded. A Celebration of Camy's Life will be monday, December 22, 2025 at 11 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Peoria. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services on Monday.

Memorials may be made in her name to Redeemer Lutheran Church, or the OSF Breastfeeding Resource Center (designated through the OSF Foundation.)