Hulda Atwater 1915-2022
Hulda Marie Atwater, 107, of Tulsa, Okla., formerly of Netawaka, passed away Tuesday, December 20, 2022 in Tulsa, Okla.
She was born April 17, 1915 in Netawaka, the daughter of Emil and Emma (Rugge) Zwonitzer.
Hulda will be remembered as a strong, faithful, caring and gracious member of the Netawaka farming community. She was an active member of Netawaka Immanuel Lutheran Church and was the church organistist for 60 years. Her music was a part of many weddings, funerals and other family and community events.
Hulda, a 1931 graduate of Netawaka High School, married Alan Atwater in 1938. They were married for 67 years and farmed in the Netawaka area until Alan’s death in 2005. Hulda lived on their farm until 2008 and then moved to Tulsa to be near her daughter, Mary. She was a loving mother, grandmother, a faithful Christian servant and a friend to all. She will be missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Emil and Emma (Rugge) Zwonitzer; her husband, Alan Maurice Atwater; two sons, Alan M. Atwater Jr. and Charles W. Atwater; and five siblings, Albert Zwonitzer, Carl Zwonitzer, Elsa Zwonitzer, Herbert Zwonitzer and Lenora (Zwonitzer) Nissen.
She is survived by her daughter, Mary Reimer (Daryl) of Tulsa, Okla.; two daughters-in-law, Kaye (Darrell) Keltner of Bartlesville, Okla. and Terry Atwater of Ottawa; seven grandchildren, Heather (Brenden) O’Neill, Houston, Texas, Kimberly (Mark) Robinson of Norman, Okla., Angie (Kevin) Kelly of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Kristin (Brett) Reich of Tulsa, Okla., Jennifer (Scott) Gorrell of Bloomfield, Colo., Mark Reimer (Blair Kenney) of Bixby, Okla. and Patrick DeWolf of Ottawa; and 17 great-grandchildren, Nora, Andrew, Ellen and Lydia O’Neill, Joshua Robinson, Connor, Daniel and Emma Kelly, Annabelle, David and Eleanor Reich, Madeleine and David Gorrell, Rhiannon Kenney and Cullen, Camryn and Cayden DeWolf.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 29 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Netawaka. Burial will follow in Netawaka Cemetery. Family will greet friends from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Mercer Funeral Home in Holton.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials may be given to Lutheran Hour Ministries or Immanuel Lutheran Church of Netawaka, sent in care of Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270, Holton, KS 66436. To leave a special message for the family, please visit www.mercerfuneralhomes.com
(PAID OBITUARY)
