Quietly in the early morning hours on Monday, May 17th Luella passed from the struggles we all face on this earth to the waiting arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At the age of 97 she was eagerly waiting and ready to meet Him. A graveside service will be held Friday, May 21st at 10am at the Shafter Memorial Park and a memorial service will follow at 11am at the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church, 400 Kern St. in Shafter. The viewing will be at the Peters Funeral Home at 844 E. Lerdo Highway in Shafter from 4pm until 8pm, Thursday May 20th. Luella Funk was born in Hillsboro, Kansas on Jan. 10, 1913 to Gerhard B. (G.B.) and Helena (Hiebert) Toews. She was the eighth child of ten and was the last member of her family to pass away. Luella met Jesus as her personal Savior when she was nineteen at a tent revival in her home town. Everyone in her large family worked hard on the farm, but they also loved to sit on the large front porch of the farm house and tell stories, laugh and enjoy life in a way many of us will never experience. Her husband Harvey was one of fourteen children and also was the last surviving member of his family when he passed away Sept. 26, 2006. They were married for 67 years. They met in Hillsboro, but Harvey proposed to Luella by mail from California where he was working and she mailed her "yes" back to him. He returned to Kansas and they were married on Dec. 28, 1938. Their honeymoon was spent traveling to California. She was so excited to come to the land of sunshine, palm trees and beaches. But when she saw the dry Mojave Desert and the fog in the valley she cried all the way to Wasco. The newlyweds settled in Wasco for several years before moving to Shafter for the rest of their married life. Leaving her big family was hard, but having two boys made up for her home sickness. Her first son Bob and wife Marsha live in Bakersfield. Their son Corey, wife Jill and son Miles live in Carlsbad, CA. Their son Joel resides in Santa Monica. Luella's second son, Howard and wife Pat also live in Bakersfield. Their daughter Jamie and husband Dr. Corey Gonzales, and their son Ryan and his three children, Quartnie, Cody and Cage all reside in Bakersfield. Luella and her very dear friend, Katherine Kroeker cooked at Maple School in Shafter for 18 years. Many students still remember the fresh zwieback, sweet rolls and special lunches that were prepared for them by these two special ladies. The aroma of fresh baked pastries from the cafeteria would cause the principal and many teachers to always stop by the cafeteria for their mid-morning snack. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and we all enjoyed her laughter and cooking at our family gatherings. Her family and many friends loved of her special meals, such as: homemade chicken noodle soup and freshly baked apple and boysenberry pies. She was a hard worker, and had the gift of serving and meeting the needs of others and it was always done with a smile on her face. She was the inspiration in helping Harvey keep the small family farm together and to make it a success in those early years. Her faith in God, her family, church and close friends were most important to Luella. She was most happy when her family was around and we all benefited because we felt loved. She served the Lord by being involved in many church ministries throughout the years. She had so many healthy years of life on this earth before having a stroke at the age of 95. She will be greatly missed by all of us. We wish to thank the owners of Kramer Serenity RCFE (Cathy Kiama and husband Daniel) and their caretakers (Elena, Maria and Myra) for their faithfulness in their daily care and love for her during these last two years. We also thank Optimal Hospice Care for their care during the last several days. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church, P.O. Box 1538, Shafter, CA. 93263.