Jan. 5, 1927-May 4, 2012
VINING - Services for George Gunderson, 85, of Vining will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Edward's Catholic Church of Henning with Father LeRoy Schik officiating. Soloist Steve Young singing "Come To The Lakeshore," "How Great Thou Art," "In The Garden" and "Don't Be Afraid" with Paul Malecha as organist. Burial will be in the St. Edward's Catholic Cemetery with Military Rites by the Minnesota National Guard. Visitation will be one hour prior to church services.
George Wendell Gunderson died Friday, May 4, 2012, at Tri-County Hospital in Wadena.
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George Gunderson
George was born Jan. 5, 1927, to George B. and Emma (Bakken) Gunderson on the family farm near Minneota.
At a young age, he helped the family financially by raising chickens and sold them at the Johnson Store. He was baptized and confirmed at Hope Lutheran Church in Minneota and later into the Catholic faith at St. Eloi in Ghent.
He attended school in Minneota until 1944 when he was drafted into the Army. After serving two years, he returned and graduated from Minneota High School in 1946 and attended Dunwoody Institute for drafting. George worked as a carpenter until 1948 starting Gunderson Construction Company in Minneota. The company grew to a crew of 50 and built many commercial projects across the state from schools, nursing homes, hospitals, churches, libraries, etc. He was one of those who started the Minneota Country Golf Course and was first president which he held several terms, and was a founding member of the Southwest Sportsmen's Club. George was also instrumental in bringing to the city: Minneota Nursing Home, apartments, businesses and the swimming pool.
On May 10, 1957, he married Dorothy Dierickx at St. Eloi Catholic Church in Ghent. They lived in Minneota until 1980 when they moved to their East Battle Lake home. He continued in the construction business, Geo. W. Gunderson Const. Co. and enjoyed building homes until his retirement in 2001.
George loved his family and the outdoors. He traveled many times to Montana for elk hunting and deer hunting by Pennington at the Great 48. He also loved fishing and enjoyed playing cards in the fish house with his buddies. You could find him on the dock at 12 midnight fishing opener waiting for the elusive walleye bite. A daily morning ritual was meeting the coffee gang at the Purple Palace.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Gunderson; daughter, Janet (Steve "Woody") Widness of Clitherall; son, George E. Gunderson of Plymouth; sisters, Korrine Rasmusson of Grand Rapids and Emmy Lou (Richard) Hanson of Hopkins; brother, Jon R. (Darlene) Gunderson of Ottertail; sister-in-law, Mildred DeCramer of Marshall; nieces and nephews and many friends.
Preceding him were his parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Edward and Mary Dierickx of Ghent; sister and brother-in-law, Phyllis and Kern Donaldson of Minneota; brothers-in-law, George DeCramer and Clinton Rasmusson.