Monika Elisabeth Dunlap passed away at Vanderbilt University Hospital, in Nashville on September 24, following emergency pulmonary surgery.
Mrs. Dunlap was a resident of Louisville, Old Webster, Mississippi. She was Professor Emeritus of Foreign Languages at Mississippi State University, having taught French for the past twenty five years until her retirement in 2018.
Mrs. Dunlap was born in Bad Hersfeld Germany on September 19, 1948 to parents Beryl Sharland Krienke and Gerhardt Uhde Krienke. She was educated in Bad Hersfeld Public Schools, and matriculated from the University Preparatory School in Wurtzburg Germany where she lived with her mother during her adolescent years. Upon graduation from preparatory school, Mrs. Dunlap attended Wurtzburg University before moving to the USA as a young adult.
After moving to Mississippi, Monika Dunlap obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts Degree from Mississippi State, and later did post graduate work at the University of Maryland where she received a second Master of Arts Degree in French.
Teaching at Mississippi State University was a highlight of Monika’s life. She was noted for her innovative method of teaching French, with emphasis on use of the language in everyday life. Her courses were popular and often filled early. In addition to her love of teaching and Mississippi State University, Monika excelled at cooking, art and gardening.
Monika is survived by her husband of 47 years Sam Coleman Dunlap of Louisville Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. Her children include Amelia Dunlap Kelley and husband Josh Kelley of Louisville, Mississippi, Marc M. Dunlap and wife Amanda of Murfreeboro, Tennessee, Alexandra Dunlap Haggard and husband Keith Stewart of Atlanta, Georgia, Kevin Cassell Dunlap and wife Phung of Houston, Texas and Cas Cooper Dunlap and wife Lisa, of Nashville, Tennessee. Grandchildren in include Joshua Kelley and Evelyn Kelley of Louisville, Cole and Ashley Haggard of Atlanta, Nathan Dunlap of Nashville, and Caden and Cohen Williams of Murfreesboro, and Marissa Dunlap of Starkvillle. Monika’s eight grandchildren were of particular joy to her, and she reveled in their visits, baking their favorite varities of cookies and cake.
Surviving siblings include Bjorn Uhde Krienke of Geneva, Switzerland, Sven Uhde Krienke of Heidelberg, Germany, and Pamela Kron of Duisburg, Germany
Visitation will be Friday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Porter Funeral Home in Louisville, Mississippi. Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. at First Presbyterian Church in Louisville on Saturday, September 28 with interment at the Old Webster Cemetery near the Dunlap home at Old Webster. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be directed to the Monika Dunlap Language Scholarship Fund at Regions Bank, Louisville, Mississippi. Proceeds from this scholarship will be used by the Mississippi State Language Department for Language Graduate Students.
