Jeremy Kunz

There is a man by the name of Jeremy Kunz.  He is a great guy!  Everyone that comes in contact with him knows right away that he is one of a kind.  His smile, his sense of humor, and especially his love for his family makes him grand!!  He loves the outdoors; running, hiking, rock climbing, you name it, he enjoys it.  But out of everything he has, his family is number one.  Anyone who comes in contact with him knows that his wife and three kids are his top priority.  There are many other things that make Jeremy the amazing role model that he is, but there is not enough room on the internet to fit it all in!!

Jeremy loves to do that which pushes him to new limits.  Things that make him stretch and that he has to give his all for.  Because of that, he became a long distance runner.  Jeremy was never one to do things alone.  He loves to do things with other people that he is close to, so thus he doesn't particularly enjoy the usual marathons, he would rather run in a relay team made up of close friends and family.  There was one relay in particular that he really enjoys, and spends much of his running time preparing for, the Wasatch Back.  This is one of many relay races that the Ragnar Relay Series has available.  It is a grueling race of 189 miles through the Wasatch Mountain Range located in northern Utah.

In 2009, Jeremy and his team decided that they would try another one of these magnificent races.  The Las Vegas relay.  Another rough race through the hot desert of Nevada.  The race was going well.  All the teammates were making good time, and it was a joyous time!  He was even able to enjoy the race with his wife, Melinda.  Even though she was in the team's other van, they kept in contact with one another through phone calls.

Early in the morning, during the race, on Saturday, October 10, 2009, Jeremy was hit by a drunk driver and killed.

Wow, that's pretty crazy.  Some of you may be wondering why I would put such a depressing story on my blog?  Well, let me tell you a not so secret.  Melinda Kunz, Jeremy's wife, is my sister.  Jeremy has been a part of my family for most of my life.  I don't really remember a time when he wasn't in it.  And even now, though his physical body is no longer present, he is still a big part of my family.

If you'll notice, I didn't use past tense verbs when I wrote the description of Jeremy.  That is because the most important part of Jeremy, the part that makes him who he is, is not gone.  "The spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed form this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." (Alma 40:11)  But that isn't the end, "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body."(Alma 40:23)  So this life isn't all there is.  There will be a time when I can once again see not only Jeremy but all of my family!!  How grateful I am for that knowledge!

Now what is my purpose in all of this?  I just want you, not everyone else who is reading this, but you who at this time, right now, is reading these words.  I want you to know that trials are hard.  There is pain in life but there is also overwhelming joy.  Joy in the plain truth that Jesus Christ lives.  That he loves us.  That we can become clean through his atoning sacrifice if we but follow his commands.

If you want to know more of the Plan that our loving Father in Heaven created for us, please visit mormon.org.