“You can’t summarize Grammie (Tere) on a piece of paper.” As we sit mere hours after her passing, attempting to put her entire life down on one page, these words from her youngest grandchild hit home hard. Such a big heart cannot be confined on such a small space.
Her particular journey started on January 15, 1958 at Horton Community hospital as Teresa Danelle Kletchka. She lived in Horton Kansas until she graduated from Horton High School in 1976. At that time, she began working full time for Dr. Jerry Young D.D.S. P.A. as an office Manager and took on the role full stride for the next 47 years where she was able to retire at 65. On October 2, 1976 she married her high school sweetheart Thomas E. Bunck and resided outside of Everest. On June 2, 1978 Tom and Tere were blessed with their first son, Douglas! On January 17, 1981 they would have their second son, Nicholas. In January of 1989 they built a new home on Raccoon Road outside of Everest where they raised their boys. Tere became a “second mother” to several of her sons’ friends. The word “Etoufee” filled the house to the brim almost everytime, as well as monday night game feeds during football season meant a group of teenage boys taking over the kitchen to make some wild animal they shot earlier that week edible and let us not forget countless nights of spades on the dining room table. The care and love that she put into each of these events will forever be a memory for all who were fortunate enough to partake.
Throughout her life Tere was a 4-H leader in the community for several years and a very active part of the Horton High Alumni association over 40 years.
In December of 2007 Tere was gifted the title “Grammie” with her first of 5 grandchildren. Through the next 18.5 years later she was gifted with 4 more. She had a special place in her heart for each one of them. Whether it was Mason and Brantley playing football or going to flea markets, or a day out shopping with the 3 girls, there was always time in her schedule for all of them. Tere would run to school 5 times in one day just because someone forgot multiple things at home, or she would drive 3 hours on a last-minute call to come be with her grandkids… “Grammie” didn’t know the word ”NO”.
In February of 2023 Tere was able to retire and shortly after was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Treatments were able to minimize the cancer, but it never truly left her for a little over 3 years. Teresa D. Bunck laid her head down and closed her eyes on the night of April 1, 2026 to never reopen. She is survived by her Mother Vada (Knouse) Kletchka of Horton, KS, her sister Kay Lynn (Kletchka) and James Kelly of Omaha, NE, her husband Thomas E. Bunck of Everest, KS, her 2 sons Douglas Bunck of Everest, KS, Nick and (Megan) Bunck of Sabetha, KS, and her 5 grandchildren Mason, Marissa, Mariah, Brantley, and Kendyl.
The rosary will be recited at 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at the St. Leo’s Catholic Church where the family will greet friends following the rosary until 7:30 P.M. Funeral mass will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Horton, Kansas with burial to follow at the All Saints Catholic Cemetery in Everest, Kansas. Memorials may be made to the All Saints Cemetery and may be sent in care of the Dishon-Maple-Chaney Mortuary.
