A WONDERFUL LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Memories are Forget –Me –Nots along life’s way, pressed close to the heart in perennial
Bouquet”
Mom always said I love you every morning and every night with a kiss. She loved her family
. She always called us the Eternal three leaf clover, bonded together with one stem.
Irmhild was born April 15th, 1922 on her grandfather farm estate in Falknau, Germany, the daughter of the late Engineer Friedrich Bungenstock and Elsbeth Wolf Bungenstock.
She came to the United States of America at the age of one with her parent to grow up and live in Ozone Park, Queens, NY.
At the age of 5 her mother passed away and she went to live with her “Tante” Marie in Hannover, Germany for two years. She attended the Luther School there.
She came back to Woodhaven when her father remarried. She went to John Adams High School, graduating at age 16. She then went on to Adelphi College in Garden City, NY which was an all-women’s college. She started there in 1939. She joined Sigma Kappa Sorority, Dec 7th, 1940, she went on to become the chapter’s President and help run the USO Officer club at the Beekman Towers in Manhattan. During that time period she even met the Queen of Greece at a special function in the Queen’s honor.
She graduated Adelphi College in June, Class of 1943, with a BA. In language and Political Science and minor in Education.
After graduation she started working at The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the US.
Shortly after that she met Werner R Unger, US Marine served in the Pacific ending at Iwo Jima. It was love at first sight!
They met in September were engaged by December and married then on Feb 2nd, 1947, in Christ Lutheran Church, Woodhaven.
They loved each other every day onward. They were always together for 60 Years.
She spent the first summer of marriage going to Provincetown every weekend to be with Werner who was studying art at the Cape School of Art with Henry Hensche. She modeled for a painting on the beach for the instructor which we still had photo of.
Two years later, they had their one and only daughter, born, Linda Marie, on Feb 6, 1949. They overjoyed with their new baby girl!
Shortly after that they moved from her parents’ home in Woodhaven, to the house they purchased in Woodside, 1948. They lived there together for the rest of their lives.
In 1954 Irmhild enrolled in the Master’s Degree Program at the Teacher’s College at Columbia University. Irmhild went back to work at Equitable in 1955 and went on to become a Service Manager- Group Administration Dept., and after 30 year there she retired in 1980.
Between these years she and Werner purchased land in New Fairfield, Ct, in 1952. And then built their second home away from home in 1957. There the family spent many happy summer and weekends together, swimming, and traveling in New England.
Irmhild was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church LIC for many years, where she helped run the Great Music of Trinity which included an all-day Music Marathon sponsored by W Queens Council of the Arts, She sang in the choir and also played in the Hand Bell Choir. She was Also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Life with Werner was never dull, every Sunday in winter all of them went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and that continued for years. Her of love art and music included the exhibits at The Met. with the family from King Tut to Monet. She loved to dance, play the piano and the dulcimer.
She went back to Germany in 1992 for her 70th Birthday to see the house she was born and also lived in Falknau and Grohnde an der Weser where her grandfather had a bakery and restaurant. She enjoyed the month with her family and her daughter Linda. Werner did not want to come along, we wished he did.
Werner and Irmhild celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at Trinity Lutheran Church Feb.2, 1997, with a reception afterward at Niederstien’s, and with family and friends.
In 2015 she celebrated being a member of Sigma Kappa for 75 year, and joined the Diamond Circle to Sigma Kappa.
Then in 2017 she also celebrated graduating from now Adelphi University, The President of the University sent her a box of chocolate and Congralutions.
Irmhild celebrated her 97th Birthday this April 15th , a with 3 dozen red roses and chocolate cake which she truly enjoyed.
She loved life, Irmhild thought she was never old, every moment of her life was with her family, which was filled with love and laughter.
She enjoyed all the stories of the family history with everyone, which came from her father.
She spent her life putting family first, would help anyone who needed help, and shared the laughter, the joy and the dreams.
She did have a wonderful life, still telling me she wanted to go shopping and go to Connecticut for the summer when she was in the hospital.
She leaves behind her loving daughter, Linda Marie.
Geh und wandere, Gott steht am Ende der Strasse……Augustinus
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