Rodney Ray Unruh

Rodney Ray Unruh was born to Russell I. & Dorothy Unruh on May 4, 1957, in Moundridge, Kansas. Jesus called him home to his reward on January 30, 2024, at the age of 66 years. Rodney grew up in the Sharon Springs, Kansas area where he received 8 years of formal education. At the age of 11 he gave his heart to the Lord and was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite on March 16, 1969, by Min. Ervin Nightingale. During his growing up years he worked on the family farm and was his mother’s right-hand helper. He also enjoyed helping care for his younger siblings Kandee and Kendall. On November 12, 1978, he married Greta Schmidt from Rich Hill, Missouri. They were blessed with 45 years together. To this union was born a daughter, Jacova. As a family, they moved to Youngtown, Arizona, becoming a part of the El Mirage congregation, and Rodney worked in landscape maintenance until his health no longer permitted. His easygoing and gentle personality won him many friends. He was very involved with Summer Vacation Bible School at the Sun Valley congregation, and also enjoyed tract route work. He was an ardent outdoorsman keenly interested in hunting and fishing, and he loved spending time in the desert. As a family we went on many day trips taking in the scenery of Arizona. We especially enjoyed visiting the Grand Canyon. He liked to read and play chess, and he was a Bible scholar.

His survivors include his wife, Greta; one daughter Jacova and Matthew Penner, Silver Valley, Alberta; his mother Dorothy Unruh, Montezuma, Kansas; 3 brothers: Ivan, Fort Smith Arkansas, Steve and Paulette, Sharon Springs, Kansas, Kendall and Shirley, Olathe, Colorado;1 sister Kandee and Dale Koehn, Marienthal, Kansas; and one brother-in-law David Schmidt, El Campo, Texas. He was preceded in death by his father, one sister-in-law, and 2 nieces.