January 8, 1972(?)    Ma's 70th Birthday
Happy Birthday to Anne Shunko from The Seven Angles Club, AKA her darling daughters.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MA!
I KNOW YOU ARE CELEBRATING WITH 
DAD AND GRAMMA AND THE  WHOLE FAMILY!!
MISS YOU EVERY DAY  NOT JUST ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!’
SAY SOME PRAYERS FOR US!
PUT IN A GOOD WORD !
MUCH LOVE

I have been driving around town all day with your inflated Birthday Balloons in the back.  I never realized how hard it would be to tame filled balloons,  but they ALL want to sit up front with me!  

You may find this on the edge of humorous.  I'm on my way to get a slow leak fixed in my left rear tire.  

There's a Larry The Cable Guy joke in there somewhere.

Happy Birthday Ma!  Love you like crazy.  Cindy

Nearly 3 years now, Ma, since you passed.  I know... I know.  I' m not making 
fast progress through the shoe boxes of the family pictures I took over the 
years.  Truth is, there's something soothing about going  through them slowly.    
I like savoring each old find that I had long ago forgotten about.  Relics, each 
of them. Renewed. 
 
While some have said they would rather forget the past, and then pretend as 
though they can, I will keep you here in my heart, Ma,  alive and well.   Even 
if it means as I secretively told you over the years, all to myself. 
 
Miss you and love you like crazy. 
Cindy 

Here are the lyrics of a song Ma and I listened to one afternoon at my kitchen table while I colored her hair.  I set the tape player to 'repeat' so we heard it.....oh...maybe 25 times in a row.  Ma just loved this song.  You can hear it for yourself at the link provided.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0IA_xAcnSw

Permission provided in an email from  the original artist to post these lyrics  on this Memorial page.  As a side note, before Ma passed, the artist also sent her his autograph on the liner note insert of a copy of the cassette that features this song.  The cassette is titled Acoustico.  It is now out of print.


'Kevin' by Jack Lukeman


Good night Kevin,
Go to Heaven.
May angels guide your way.
There's no strangers, 
There's no danger,
Just moments drifted away.
No point rebelling,
Tale's past telling
Of a sentimental Saint.
Forgiveness you gave
A gift to grace the grave.
Forgiveness you gave
In the moments that you left.

Good night Kevin.
Go to heaven.
May angels keep you safe.
There's no anguish, 
There's no sadness
Just moments drifted away.
Forgiveness you gave
A gift to grace the grave.
Forgiveness you gave
In the moments that you left.

So good night Kevin
Go to heaven.
My angels kiss your face.  
While the years are pending,
The past is pending, 
Like the moonbeams in your hair.



Hi. Ma. I have an US story for you.

When I first moved away from home, you comforted me by saying, "At least I have some place to go visit.".  Those words went further than I think either of us would ever know.

I treasured your visits.   As time went by, do you remember how I told you (away from the earshot of my sisters) that I learned to much rather " have you all to myself? "  Our visits turned out that way, and that's how I liked it.

Sometimes I imagine us memorizing songs to sing together as we drove along those long Iowa farmland highways looking for the places in the "Local Attractions" booklets  piled up in my back seat.  Funny how we always managed to find those places, as lost as I get these days when I drive alone!

But Ma!  I often listen to Jack Lukeman's cassette  Acoustico.  We played that cassette 
over and over again the afternoon I colored your hair for you in my kitchen back in 1990-who-knows-when.  Remember how much you loved the song 'Kevin' about a little boy who was dying?  That day I put my cassette player on 'Repeat Song' for 'Kevin', and soon we sang every single word together.  Great thing,: I found never before scene pics of us that day coloring your hair! Incoming Archives!

Years later we re-listened to Acoustico together.  You grumped at me: "I thought that 'Kevin' song was  MUCH longer than that!  What's this tape anyway?  One of those darn condensed versions" ?!  (YOU GOOF! )  "No Ma," I told you. " The day we were listening in my kitchen the player was set to repeat it over and over.  We listened to it at least 20 consecutive times that day, Ma.".

 Your reply: "Oh."

You also told me that day at my house that you also loved the song 'Georgie  Boy' from Acoustico, but you wouldn't say why.  I really didn't need to ask.  I knew exactly why. 

It reminded you of me. 

That song spoke to you of how much we both missed out on not being closer for all those years.  

Like Georgie Boy.
Love you like crazy, Cin

Happy Birthday Ma.  Not much going on these days.   I have been gathering together some things to start making a scrapbook for myself about you.  I have mostly pictures but with some of the computer scrapbook makers I have I can add some really cool backgrounds and stickers that will make it very special. It seems all my sisters  who live out by Lansing are cashing in on all the cool artifacts that they keep mysteriously finding every here and there like your bobby pins or pill boxes. My black lab Sadie passed away at home about a month ago. I know you were fond of her. Currently I'm going through my terribly disorganized photo collection to locate several pictures I took of you in my kitchen petting her when you arrived for one of your stays way back when.  I want  to add them to the scrapbook.    I miss you like crazy.  Cindy


gosh,Ma! I know i said Happy Mother's Day! I brought you a red rose and 7 pink ones onna counta the thought you spending your 1st Mother's Day alone in nearly 70 years was more than i could bear. But now that i think about it. you're not alone at all. You're wit Daddy and your mommy and all your sisters and brothers..Especially Auntie Hattie! You probably were too busy to notice  how much i miss you. That's a good thing! I miss you and wish i could still take care of you. xoxoxox I Love You more than you'll ever know xoxox Chrissie

Happy Mother's Day, Ma. Miss you a lot and think about you every day.  Love you forever, Cindy

Happy first Birthday is Heaven Ma.  Love you and miss you.  Cindy

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
 
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."
 
Gone where?
 
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
 
And that is dying...
Henry Van Dyke

I love you, Ma. Tell everybody Hi from me <3

DEAR SHUNKO FAMILY;  I KNEW YOUR MOM FROM FEDERAL SIGNAL . YOUR MOM WAS A VERY KIND PERSON AND KNEW HER JOB WELL. MY CONDOLENCE'S TO ALL OF YOU.KAREN KENNEDY

Dear Mrs. Shunko, 

For years we bugged you, drank your coffee, played cards at your table and you never were anything but kind and welcoming. These inpromptu parties are woven into my college life as well as the talks we had and the advice you gave to us. You and my Mom brought that wonderful Italian personality into to my life with warmth and love. Now you have the heavenly reward you so deserve. Just one last request , save a place at your table for Jan and I so we can regale one and all with the treasured times we shared.
Ciao Bella.

Maureen (the other daughter you took under your wing)
Downers Grove, iIl.

My thoughts and prayers are will all of you.  I know she will be missed by all.  Chris, I always loved seeing your mom.  She made me smile every time.  Love to all. xoxoxo

As the last of the generation before me has passed, I am so grateful for the example that they set for all of us. Aunt Annie, one of the strongest, funniest, most gentle women I've had the honor of having in my family, I will miss you but forever will I hold you in my heart.  Thank you for being you
Jennifer ad Paul Malinowski

Dearest Ma,
After coming back from Tennessee after my mothers passing, we were sitting on the side of the bed talking about all that had happened and how sad I was. You held my hand and looked at me and said. .you still have me. I said yes I do. You'll always be in my heart and mind.  You let me be part of a wonderful family who at first didn't  look kindly at a tattooed guy who was seeing their sister. When I was told ...well Christine loves you and MA loves you I guess your ok. Taking you to Dr. visits and going to lunch and talking about your life growing up and how you met your husband just made me feel a part of a family that I had been missing. Thank you for being in.my life. I love you and will.miss you.

AUNT ANNE...I will miss you. I HAVE WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF YOU.  l  WILL MISS YOU.  LOVE  LINDA ALPERS (UNCLE LOUIE'S DAUGHTER)

Mrs. Shunko it's time to rest now. You raised your 7 Daughters. Lord knows you did your best. May God keep you in his prayers. Arlene, Cesar & Mary Lou Herbias.

Annie Shunko, beloved Bun and patron saint of the Kindig Performing Arts Center, you will be missed.  Go with grace....and feel free to visit the theatre and mess with Ellie any time.  You'll be in good company.

Rest in peace, Grandma.
You will be in our hearts forever.
Love, Andy, Julie & family...
Alana, Josh, Nate, Katie,
Amy & Andrew Jr.

OBITUARY

Anne M. Shunko

January 8, 1924 – November 10, 2015

Blake-Lamb Funeral Home

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