Irma Edith Kent Hunsinger

Irma Edith Kent Hunsinger

Irma Edith Riggs was born on April 29, 1922, in Seymore, Iowa. She was the fourth of five sisters. They were close their entire lives.

Life, growing up on a farm during the Great Depression, was difficult at the best of times. Irma was very reliable, which meant she received a robust set of chores, shoveling hay, milking cows, tending to the fields and orchard, and more.

Her mom made her wear overalls out in the fields, which she hated. Girls did not wear overalls then, even though she later conceded they were necessary to keep her clothes from getting torn. She could not wait to get back to the house to put on a dress and play the piano. She explained that when she played the piano she wanted to be a lady.

Playing piano was a respite from the difficulties of farm life, one that brought her great joy. She and her sister Lucile walked three miles for their piano lessons in Seymore. The girls partly earned their lessons by ironing and picking cherries, beans, and snap peas for their teacher. Their parents paid the balance with butter and apples.

Times were especially difficult. Her mom made dresses for the girls out of flour sacks which were patterned for such a purpose. Once her uncle came to the house and Irma was going to play piano for the family. She came out wearing four dresses. When her mom inquired why, she explained that she wanted to cover up the holes.

During the Great Depression her family lost their farm and moved to town. The move suited her fine. Her family lived in a home that was just a couple blocks from school. It was here, as a high school freshman, that she discovered a lifelong love.

She learned how to play basketball her freshman year and then became a star starter every year after that. She was even selected for the Iowa all-state team and received a full college tuition athletic scholarship. However, she found that the scholarship was not sufficient to cover the costs of food and boarding when the team went on the road. She was skipping meals to remain on the team and eventually decided to return home to teach, one of the few careers available to women at the time. Irma never lost her love for basketball. If the Lakers were playing, she was almost sure to be watching. She always had a dispassionate analysis of the game and players as sharp sighted as any professional commentator.

Irma was married and widowed three times over the course of her life. She and her first husband, Herald Parks, met in Seymour. They married in 1942. Soon thereafter Herald enlisted in the military as World War II raged. He was stationed in California, where eventually Irma joined him with their infant son Richard.

She made the best of very austere living conditions, finding a sitter for her son, and taking a job at the post office. She loved this position, where her numeric acuity and sharp memory were assets. She particularly enjoyed working with a clever boss with whom she could experiment with wheeled chairs and revolving tables to enhance productivity.

Years later she and Harald moved to Orange. They became members of the First United Methodist Church of Orange in 1964. Over the years, the church was a rich source of friendship and community. She was involved with Twig Benders, United Methodist Women, Joy Circle, and several other groups. She enjoyed volunteering at the annual rummage sale well into her 90’s.

Irma’s sharp memory was well suited for her full-time career at Lloyds bank. She easily memorized customer’s account numbers and could quickly reconcile the bank’s daily books. She enjoyed the work, building many enduring friendships with coworkers that extended long after she retired. Until her death, she continued to receive Lloyd’s $63/month pension.

Fourteen years after the death of her first husband, she fell in love and married Earle Kent at church. He became a beloved second grandpa to her grandchildren, Richard and Teressa. Following Earle’s passing, she married Bob Hunsinger. They were married for 7-and-a-half years before she was widowed once again in 2006.

In 2009, she suffered the painful loss of her beloved and only child, Richard.

Irma was always very active, even in her later years. She enjoyed taking walks and line dancing. Her dance team frequently performed at nursing homes and senior centers which she thoroughly enjoyed. At the age of 92 she had knee replacement surgery and the doctor seriously considered doing the second knee before thinking better of it.

She continued driving late into her 90’s. She was in a couple crashes, but none of them were her fault. She stayed active driving friends to church, lunch dates, and doctor’s appointments. Finally, at age 97 she gave up her car keys, but even then she remained active and social; reading voraciously and taking joy in time with beloved friends, neighbors, and family.

She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Nancy Parks; grandchildren Richard Parks and his wife Anna Parks; Teressa Morris and her husband Robert Morris; 12 great grandchildren including Jordan, Isaiah, and Abigail Parks; and Dometrius and his wife Trudy, Dominique, Chandler, Sophia, Essabella, Satchell, Isaiah, Shepard, and Malachi; two great great grandchildren Deangelo and Daisy; and a host of friends and extended family members.