John J. Munzanreder Sr.

John “Papa” Munzanreder, Sr., 81, passed away Monday night, April 4, 2011, quietly in his sleep. John was born June 29, 1929, in Lake City, SD, to Annie (Etl) and Ben Munzanreder. At a young age, his family moved to Aberdeen and then Coulee City. Being a great student, John was able to skip second grade. During the fourth grade, his family moved to Sunnyside. He then skipped the fifth grade starting sixth in Hermiston, OR, for a short stay. Middle school was spent at Franklin in Yakima but family needs required him to quit school mid eighth grade to go to work for May Nursery. In 1948 his family moved to Bellingham where he worked in a cannery, the Oldsmobile and Chevy garages, and on a chicken ranch. John was drafted to the U.S. Army in 1950 during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1951. When his mother passed he returned home to take care of his younger sister and brother, proudly remaining in the reserves for five years.

Upon honorable discharge, John returned to Yakima with his siblings and worked for Inland Motors and then Hasset Motors. In 1955, John married Bonnie Keeton and they moved to Bellingham where he worked at Metke Ford and then Texaco Oil Refinery in Anacortes. Due to a back injury, in 1956 they returned to Yakima and family, where John worked at Bill’s Used Cars until 1961 when he joined the Yakima County Road Dept. hand-painting stop and street signs. John joined the City of Yakima Garage Department in 1965. He lost Bonnie to cancer and then remarried to Marlene (Cawvey) Isley in 1982. After his 1989 retirement, they enjoyed many happy years traveling the U.S.

John enjoyed many activities and hobbies including traveling the U.S., his years through the chairs at the local Yakima Eagles, fishing and hunting with friends and family, several bowling leagues, tinkering in his shop restoring classical cars, and watching baseball.

John’s survivors include his wife, Marlene Munzanreder; daughter, Kathryne (Dale) Keeth; sons, John (Cynthia) Munzanreder II, Charles (Monica Jean) Munzanreder, and Mathew (Shannon) Munzanreder Sr.; step-daughter, Teresa (Don) Glass; step-son, Mark Isley, grandchildren, Mike, Mathew II, Christine, Falon, Petra, Patrick, and Christopher, six loved great-grandchildren and his faithful poodle, Missy.

John was preceded in death by his mother, Annie; father, Ben; sister; Suzie; brother; Duane, and first wife, Bonnie

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A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 14, 2011 at Langevin-Mussetter Funeral Home, Yakima.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s name to the East Valley Fire Department in care of Langevin-Mussetter Funeral Home, 1010 W. Yakima Ave., Yakima, WA 98902.

Arrangements under the direction of Langevin-Mussetter Funeral Home, Yakima, WA.