Curtis william Kumbier, D'88

Curtis William Kumbier, D'88, passed away on March 3, 2014 in Montezuma, Iowa.

Curtis William Kumbier, son of Dale and Mary Kumbier, was born October 10, 1970 in San Salvador, El Salvador. His early years were adventurous, spending time climbing trees and catching iguanas, as well as other stories he shared with his children later in life. At the age of 11, Curtis was adopted by Dale and Mary and moved to Marshalltown, Iowa. During his time there, he became very close with his backyard neighbors, Merlyn and Carol Newberg. He spent most of his free time playing with their children. It didn’t take long for him to feel like a part of their family as well. When the Newberg family moved to Montezuma, Curtis asked if he could move in with them. Neither Merlyn and Carol, or their other seven children hesitated to welcome him into their home. This change began Curtis’s life in Montezuma.

He graduated with the Montezuma class of ’89. After graduation he became a shift manager at Hardees which he did for awhile before beginning his career in construction with J & M Roofing in Brooklyn. During his time in construction, he also worked for Becker Roofing, Bill Ahrens, and finally Newberg Construction. Curtis was working at Jeld-Wen and was nearing the completion of his Business Management Degree at Iowa Valley Community College. He enjoyed spending free time hunting, fishing, and keeping tabs on high school wrestling. He loved the jobs that he had, but above all, he loved his family.
 

Curtis is preceded in death by his second parents, Merlyn and Carol Newberg.
 

Left to honor his memory are his parents, Dale and Mary Kumbier; his step-mom, Sharon Newberg; four sons, Curtis Kumbier, Keith Simmons, Vincent Buchanan, and Gabriel Kumbier; two daughters, Shania Kumbier and Lainy Kumbier; two grandchildren, Brayden and Bentley Kumbier; five brothers, Eduardo Kumbier, Todd (Melinda) Moats, Kirk (Patty) Moats, Mike (Kellie) Newberg, and Mark (Lori) Newberg; three sisters, Marsha (Albert) Johns, Mary Jo (Lowell) Newberg, and Kim (Emilio) Zapata; two special aunts, Georgie Whitmore and Bonnie Jarman, as well as many nieces, nephews and a host of friends.