Melissa Lynn Kuhn
December 16, 1976 — September 25, 2017
Melissa Lynn Kuhn, 40, of Marion, Iowa, passed away on Monday, September 25, 2017, in her home, surrounded by family. Visitation: 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 28, 2017, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion, where a vigil service will begin at 4:00 p.m. Funeral Mass: 10:00 a.m. Friday, September 29, 2017, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Hiawatha, Iowa, conducted by Father Mark Ressler. The family will also greet friends one hour prior to the mass at the church.
Melissa was born on December 16, 1976, in Iowa City, Iowa, daughter of Vern and Mary (Breitenstein) Johnson. She graduated from Keokuk Senior High school in 1995. In 1999, Melissa received her Bachelor of Art’s degree in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. She married Brent Kuhn on October 13, 2001, in Keokuk, Iowa. She was a Senior Manager, Financial Analyst for Transamerica for nine years. Melissa was a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
Melissa’s cancer journey inspired her to openly share four change lessons with her family and friends. They are: Believe in your journey, Trust your instincts, Live each day to the best of your abilities, and Live your life with empathy and gratitude every day. Her every day embodiment of these led to much recognition. In 2014, she received the Jaxon Havlicek True Strength Award from Midwest Extreme Tri Club. Melissa was the 2016 Ovation Award recipient for the Iowa Women’s Foundation. In 2017, she received the Waypoint Women of Achievement and Leadership Award.
Melissa’s joy and passion in life was her family and the times she spent with them, whether that was her boys, immediate family, extended family, “framily” (friends that are family), church family, sports family, work family, or classmate family.
Survivors include her husband, Brent and their sons, Hayden and Riley of Marion; parents, Vern and Mary Johnson of Marion; sister, Angela Johnson of Marion; mothers-in-law, Linda Kuhn of Cedar Falls, Iowa and Barbara Kuhn of Scottsdale, Arizona; sisters-in-law, Kendra (Nate) Kramer of Ankeny, Iowa and Madeline Kuhn of Scottsdale; brother-in-law, Todd Kuhn of Scottsdale; nieces, Reece and Sophie Kramer of Ankeny; future niece, Brinley Kuhn of Scottsdale; aunt and uncles; Carol (Chuck) Betts of Keokuk, Iowa, Anne (Lee) Buckert of Osage Beach, Missouri, Ed (Jeanene) Breitenstein of Montrose, Iowa, Steve (Larae) Breitenstein of Inverness, Illinois, Don (Dee) Johnson of Vail, Arizona, Ken (Jean) Johnson of Anderson, South Carolina, Nancy (Jerry) Sanders of Franklin, Iowa, Denine Johnson of Burlington, Iowa, Clay (Cindy) Johnson of Joliet, Illinois, Paula Johnson of Keokuk; and cousins, Tim (Chantel) Hawkins, Ann (Frank) Gower, Laura Harmon, Julie (Matt McIver) Betts, Sarah (Brad) Bowman, Scott Buckert, Dan (Gaby Samut) Breitenstein, Beth (Jared) Nickel, Matthew Breitenstein, Dan (Heather Hussey) Johnson, Tracie (Willie) Jones, Marla (Jim) Rybarczyk, BJ Johnson, Ann March, Kristi Webster, Ed Masden, Michael (Sharjah) Wixom, Sam Johnson, Sarah (Jason) McMillin, Matt Johnson, and Adam (Christina) Johnson.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Francis and Virginia Breitenstein, Donald and Inez Johnson; father-in-law, Russ Kuhn; brother-in-law, Brad Kuhn; uncle, Glen Johnson; aunt, Judith Hawkins; and cousin, Don Johnson III.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hayden and Riley’s college fund or the Children’s Miracle Network in Melissa’s memory.
Melissa was born on December 16, 1976, in Iowa City, Iowa, daughter of Vern and Mary (Breitenstein) Johnson. She graduated from Keokuk Senior High school in 1995. In 1999, Melissa received her Bachelor of Art’s degree in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. She married Brent Kuhn on October 13, 2001, in Keokuk, Iowa. She was a Senior Manager, Financial Analyst for Transamerica for nine years. Melissa was a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
Melissa’s cancer journey inspired her to openly share four change lessons with her family and friends. They are: Believe in your journey, Trust your instincts, Live each day to the best of your abilities, and Live your life with empathy and gratitude every day. Her every day embodiment of these led to much recognition. In 2014, she received the Jaxon Havlicek True Strength Award from Midwest Extreme Tri Club. Melissa was the 2016 Ovation Award recipient for the Iowa Women’s Foundation. In 2017, she received the Waypoint Women of Achievement and Leadership Award.
Melissa’s joy and passion in life was her family and the times she spent with them, whether that was her boys, immediate family, extended family, “framily” (friends that are family), church family, sports family, work family, or classmate family.
Survivors include her husband, Brent and their sons, Hayden and Riley of Marion; parents, Vern and Mary Johnson of Marion; sister, Angela Johnson of Marion; mothers-in-law, Linda Kuhn of Cedar Falls, Iowa and Barbara Kuhn of Scottsdale, Arizona; sisters-in-law, Kendra (Nate) Kramer of Ankeny, Iowa and Madeline Kuhn of Scottsdale; brother-in-law, Todd Kuhn of Scottsdale; nieces, Reece and Sophie Kramer of Ankeny; future niece, Brinley Kuhn of Scottsdale; aunt and uncles; Carol (Chuck) Betts of Keokuk, Iowa, Anne (Lee) Buckert of Osage Beach, Missouri, Ed (Jeanene) Breitenstein of Montrose, Iowa, Steve (Larae) Breitenstein of Inverness, Illinois, Don (Dee) Johnson of Vail, Arizona, Ken (Jean) Johnson of Anderson, South Carolina, Nancy (Jerry) Sanders of Franklin, Iowa, Denine Johnson of Burlington, Iowa, Clay (Cindy) Johnson of Joliet, Illinois, Paula Johnson of Keokuk; and cousins, Tim (Chantel) Hawkins, Ann (Frank) Gower, Laura Harmon, Julie (Matt McIver) Betts, Sarah (Brad) Bowman, Scott Buckert, Dan (Gaby Samut) Breitenstein, Beth (Jared) Nickel, Matthew Breitenstein, Dan (Heather Hussey) Johnson, Tracie (Willie) Jones, Marla (Jim) Rybarczyk, BJ Johnson, Ann March, Kristi Webster, Ed Masden, Michael (Sharjah) Wixom, Sam Johnson, Sarah (Jason) McMillin, Matt Johnson, and Adam (Christina) Johnson.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Francis and Virginia Breitenstein, Donald and Inez Johnson; father-in-law, Russ Kuhn; brother-in-law, Brad Kuhn; uncle, Glen Johnson; aunt, Judith Hawkins; and cousin, Don Johnson III.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hayden and Riley’s college fund or the Children’s Miracle Network in Melissa’s memory.
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