Jade C. (Emter) Unruh

Jade Cordella (Emter) Unruh, 39, passed away unexpectedly at home on February 9, 2025. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, February 17 at Bismarck Baptist Church, 2211 Laforest Ave, Bismarck, ND. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will follow afterward with a time to share memories of Jade. 

Burial will be held at a later date. 

Jade Cordella (Emter) Unruh was born January 16, 1986 in Bismarck, ND to Kerry and Pamela (Dressler) Emter. At home she joined big sister, Amber. They would later welcome a baby brother, Dalton. The trio grew up together in Bismarck and attended area schools. 

When she completed school, Jade always held a caregiver role, working in both healthcare and childcare. She was a certified nursing assistant and never met a patient who didn’t adore her. She easily formed strong attachments to her clients and cared for them as if they were her own family. She also had a soft spot for children and they gravitated towards her as well. Later in life she would run a daycare out of her home. Jade had a gift when it came to caring for children. She longed for the day she would have her own. 

That dream would come true in 2008 when Jade welcomed her firstborn, Nevaeh. She would go on to have four more children – Natalia, Nathan, Noelle, and NyAnne. She also gained a bonus daughter, Morgan. She was immensely proud of the people they are growing up to be. 

While they had already been together for some time, Jade married the man she loved most, John Unruh, on August 19, 2023. They, along with the children, enjoyed snowmobiling and often took trips to Deadwood, South Dakota where Jade delighted in the beautiful scenery of the Black Hills. 

Jade was most ecstatic to become a grandmother this fall. She couldn’t wait to find out if her grandchild will be a boy or girl. She was anticipating countless hours of baby snuggles in her future. 

Jade had a knack for finding new music and sharing it with others. She especially enjoyed country. She could often be found listening to music, dancing around with her children. She always knew just the right song to put on for any occasion. 

Jade was also a true lover of the sun. She relished soaking up rays whether it be by laying out tanning or spending time boating the Missouri River with family. Sunshine made her feel alive. 

May she now be our eternal sunshine looking over us, watching her children grow. Each time we look to the sky and catch glimpse of a golden orange ray, Jade’s favorite color, we will know she is near. 

Jade is survived by her husband, John and the children: Morgan Unruh, Nevaeh, Natalia, Nathan, Noelle, and NyAnne Emter; parents, Kerry and Pamela Emter; sister, Amber (Michael) Dietz; brother, Dalton (Megan) Emter; grandmother, Marian Emter; and several nieces and nephews: IsaBella, Anthony, Stetson, and Remington Emter, Aaliyah Unruh, and Adrien and Marquis Gary. 

She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Engelhart and Anne Dressler; paternal grandfather, Anthony Emter; uncle Jeff Dressler; and niece, Shiloh Jade Emter. 

Jade was not a fan of black clothing at funerals. With this in mind, the family is inviting guests to dress in clothing other than black (if they chose) so we can send Jade on her journey home to Jesus comfortably.