Georgene Gunderson

Georgene Francis Gunderson, the daughter of George and Francis (Losey) Sickler, was born on October 28, 1937 near Sherburn, MN.  She graduated from Sherburn High School in 1955 and then moved to Texas to live with relatives.  While she was living in Texas, she met the love of her life, Ralph Gunderson.  After a short engagement they were united in marriage on February 19, 1956 in Sherburn, MN.  After Ralph completed his time with the Army, they made their home in Shoreview, MN and raised three daughters, Lori, Pam, and Julie.  Georgene and Ralph moved to Brooklyn Center in 1979 and then moved back to Ralph’s hometown of Kensington in 1995.

Singing was an important part of Georgene’s life.  She sang in the choir at Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview, MN and also started the choir at First Lutheran Church in Kensington.  She sang and competed for 42 years in choruses with White Bear Lake, Roseville, City of Lakes, and Alexandria Chapters of Sweet Adeline’s.  However, reading and singing hours upon hours to her grandchildren and great grandchildren while they sat in her lap, was always Georgene’s most favorite performance.

Family was very important to Georgene.  She made every holiday special, by baking holiday cookies, decorating, and cooking wonderful meals.  Some memories of her children are spending summers at their cabin on Lake Ida, fishing, gardening, canning vegetables, swimming and tubing. Other memories will be Georgene’s love of color, her crafts and needle work and her kind, polite, and warm sense of grace she had about herself.  Georgene was able to make everyone she met feel warm and welcome in her home.  She will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

Georgene F. Gunderson died on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at Alomere Health in Alexandria at the age of 81 years old.  She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Ralph Gunderson of Kensington; daughters, Lori (Aaron) Carlson of Roseville, Pam Gunderson (Nigel Eccleston) of North East Minneapolis, and Julie (Courtney) Smith of Kensington; seven grandchildren, Brian (Britt Brady) Gunderson of Denver, CO, Katie (Nick) Rudek of North East Minneapolis, Michael (Nicole) Gunderson of St. Paul, Joseph Carlson of Monterey, CA, Kimberly Carlson of Roseville, Nicole (Eric) Peery of Kensington, and Benjamin (Molly) Smith of Cold Spring; five great grandchildren, Everett, Brayden, and Ensley Peery of Kensington and Eleanor and Rose Smith of Cold Spring; sisters, Zelda Christian of St. Paul and Terri (Greg) Envey of Sarasota, FL; brother-in-law, Elder Rose of Fairmont, MN; many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother George Sickler and sister DeElda Rose.

A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, May 20, 2019 at 10:30 AM at First Lutheran Church in Kensington, MN.  A visitation will take place on Sunday, May 19, 2019 from 5-7 PM at the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria and also for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.  Interment will be in the First Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Arrangements are with the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria. www.andersonfuneral.net