Salina Bontrager

Salina Bontrager, 88, of Kalona, passed peacefully from this life on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, surrounded by her family. A funeral will be held Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 10:00 AM at Sharon Bethel Church north of Kalona. Burial will follow at the Brenneman Cemetery in rural Kalona. Visitation will be held Friday, February 24, from 10AM– 12PM, 2- 5PM, and 6 – 8 PM at Sharon Bethel Church. A memorial fund has been established for Iowa City Hospice.

Salina (Chupp) Bontrager was born July 17, 1934, in Mazie, OK, the daughter of Menno and Barbara (Bontrager) Chupp. She attended rural school and completed the 8^th grade at the age of 12. She accepted Jesus as her Savior at a revival and was baptized in her youth. On May 26, 1955, she was united in marriage to Joe E. Bontrager in Mayes County, OK. Salina worked as a nurse’s aid in Kansas City for 2 years while Joe served in 1W. In 1964, Joe and Salina and their three oldest children moved from Oklahoma to Kalona, Iowa and bought a farm, where she lived the remaining years of her life. Salina cooked for the Kalona Historical Tours for 50 years, serving over 78,000 people from over 15 countries. She was a faithful member of the Sharon Bethel Church and enjoyed reading, gardening, quilting, visiting shut-ins and making her family’s favorite foods. Salina was a woman of deep faith, praying for her children and grandchildren every day.

Survivors include 8 children: Merle (Fern) Bontrager of Wellman, Mary (Willis) Schrock of Lincoln, MO, Karen (Tim) Miller of Tyler, TX, Marlin (Becky) Bontrager of Kalona, Gary Bontrager of Kalona, Lavon (Vesta) Bontrager of Kalona, Wayne (Linda) Bontrager of Parsons, KS, and Wanda (Leon) Stutzman of Wellman, 42 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and one brother Andy Chupp of Pryor, OK.

Preceding Salina in death were her parents, her husband Joe in 1985, and 4 brothers and 3 sisters.

Salina’s family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to friends and relatives for all the care, concern, and thoughtful acts of kindness during this time.