Ernest “Ernie” William Jungmeyer, a man who cherished and labored for his family and community, passed away Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, after a five-year battle with Arterial Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. Surrounded by family at his home in Peculiar, Missouri, until his final moments, he was 78 years old. On Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, there will be a Visitation from 12-1 pm and a Memorial Service from 1-2 pm at Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville. Donations may be made to the ALS Foundation or the Fellowship Raymore.
Born Sept. 22, 1945, in Jefferson City, Jungmeyer led a life of public service, marked by integrity and respect. It was also a life full of challenges and successes.
Jungmeyer was preceded in death by his father, Ernest J. Jungmeyer, and mother, Ella Mae Engelbreck Jungmeyer. His mother’s death in an automobile accident in 1960, when he was just 14 years old, was significant and traumatic. Earlier in his childhood, Jungmeyer was stricken with polio and spent months in hospitals and recovery. Despite these challenges, or perhaps in spite of them, Jungmeyer rose to many successes.
Called “Sonny” in his younger days, Jungmeyer in the eighth grade was among 33 Missouri boys selected to visit the nation’s capital in Washington, DC. He went on to study at University of Missouri-Rolla, where he graduated in 1968 with a degree in civil engineering, which would be his lifelong profession.
At the university, he joined the Spelunkers club in Rolla, spending many hours exploring caves underground. From his own words, Jungmeyer wrote: “We discovered new caves and I was one of the first to explore a few caves. In those days you wore a helmet with a carbide lamp attached to it. … You hoped the lamp did not go out as sometimes we were a mile away from the cave entrance. It was great fun and adventure crawling 50 feet through a 3 feet wide and 2 feet high passage and finding a large room on the other side filled with spectacular formations.”
Jungmeyer loved nature, including hiking and fishing, and traveling, activities that he enjoyed with his wife, Dorthy Famuliner Jungmeyer, who he married on Nov. 22, 1969. He proposed to Dorthy on the day Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, July 20, 1969, which carried special significance in their relationship.
Jungmeyer’s first job was with the Kansas Department of Transportation, and he and Dorthy bought a house in Fairway, Kan., before moving to Peculiar, Mo., in 1973, where he would make his life.
His career in civil engineering led him to work on projects that almost all Kansas Citians and visitors to the city have enjoyed. He worked on projects including I-635 and the I-35 bridge over Turkey Creek. He helped build Highway 152 and a stretch of 71 Highway in KC. He did site work for Town Center Plaza and Zona Rosa, the asphalt walkways at Worlds of Fun, along with the parking lots at Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadium. In addition to KDOT, he worked at Midwest Pre-Coat/Clarksons, Brown Brothers and Max Rieke & Sons, where he retired.
Later, from 2008-14, he served three terms as Mayor of Peculiar, helping secure millions of dollars in federal funds that has spurred the growth of the suburban community. In 2014, the Missouri House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring his career in public service. He was active in the Peculiar Lions Club and Fellowship Raymore. He also was a passionate golfer as part of the local “Chili Dippers.”
Jungmeyer is survived by his wife, Dorthy; his sons, Lance and Brandon; their wives, Erin and Dana; and his grandchildren: Hadley Rose Jungmeyer, Henry Jungmeyer, Alex Flores, and Eli Flores. He also is survived by his extended family including his sister-in-law, Sharon Famuliner de Leon; her son, Juan, and his wife, Becky de Leon, and their children: Dylan, Isabella and Daniel; and her other son, Jaime, and Aura de Leon and their children: Isabel, James and Matthew.
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