Rachel A. Kirchhoff, 90, of Sumner, died Wednesday, April 6, 2016, at her rural Sumner home.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 11, 2016, at Union United Methodist Church of rural Sumner with Rev. Julie Ahrens officiating. Interment will follow at the Church Cemetery. Friends may call from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sunday, April 10th , at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Sumner and for one hour preceding services at the church on Monday.
Rachel Alice, daughter of Robert and Olive (Duhrkopf) Rhea was born, July 14, 1925, in Grundy Center, Iowa. She received her education in the Sumner Public Schools and graduated from Sumner High School in 1943. Rachel received a business degree from Iowa State Teacher’s College (now known as University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls. She was united in marriage to Eugene Miller in 1944, and to this union three children were born, Gary, Mike and Pat. She worked as a waitress at the Waterloo Airport for over twenty years. She thoroughly enjoyed waitressing, getting to interact with new people every day. She was united in marriage with George Yuhouse in 1957, and to this union one child was born, Tammy. On October 14, 1979, she was united in marriage with Robert Kirchhoff. Rachel was very active with the farm work. While living and working on their farm, she was also a waitress at the Sumner Café where she worked until retiring at the age of 83. She and Robert were married for twenty-five years until his death in 2005. She remained working and living on the farm until her death. Rachel was a long time member of Union United Methodist Church where she was very active in the church women’s groups. She was a member of the Legion Auxiliary for over forty years. Rachel enjoyed reading, watching the news, and following politics. She was very dedicated to maintaining her health, swimming twice a week, bike riding, daily treadmill workouts, and did so throughout her eighties.
Rachel is survived by her four children, Gary (Kathy) Miller of Tracy, California, Michael (Lynda) Miller of Sumner, Patricia Heller of Sumner, and Tammy (Mike) Loftus of Waterloo; one stepson, Richard (Annette) Kirchhoff of Ferryville, Wisconsin; five stepdaughters, Karen (Dan) Mulawski of Las Vegas, Nevada, Ann (Steven) Baumgarn of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Patty Listenbee of Beloit, Wisconsin, Jane (Charlie) Burleson of Prescott Valley, Arizona and Barbara (Duane) Senft of Postville; thirty-two grandchildren, Christopher Rhea Miller, Andrea Moccia, Michael Joseph Miller, Michelle “Meme” Miller, Shane Miller, Stacie Boess, Gary F. Heller, Heather Bruess, Melanie Honn, and Jessica Loftus, Lars Blomberg, Alyssa Rohnkohl, Britt Marinan, Christopher Baumgarn, Chas and Shana Listenbee, Sheri Sandoval, Billy Burleson, Jamieson, Ross, and Roy Senft, Michael, John, Raymond, Shawn, and Nicholas Kirchhoff, Chad, Stacey, Kari, and Brad Wright, and Angel and Abby Olson; and forty-eight great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by a grandson, Jason Heller; a son-in-law, Gerald Heller and a step-son-in-law, Charles Listenbee.
