Sunde, Carroll O'Dean 1928-2007
SUNDE, ANDERSON, HAVNEN, PETERSON
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 12/8/2012 at 13:16:57
Carroll O. Sunde, age 79, of Decorah, Iowa, died Sunday, November 11, 2007 at Aase Haugen Home in Decorah following a long illness.
Funeral Services will be held at 1:30 P.M. Friday, November 16, 2007 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah by Rev. Joan A. Mau with burial in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah.
Friends may call from 4:00 – 7:00 P.M. Thursday, November 15 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and after 12:30 P.M. Friday at the church.
Carroll O’Dean Sunde was born May 14, 1928 at home in rural Rake, IA to Edwin and Inger (Anderson) Sunde. He graduated from Rake High School with the class of 1946 and then served 2 years in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific where he served as Yeoman. He attended St. Olaf College for one year and then Luther College for one year in pursuit of a childhood friend, Carmen Havnen of Rake.
He was united in marriage to Carmen O. Havnen on August 5, 1950 at Liberty Lutheran Church in Rake, IA where both had been baptized and confirmed. This union was blessed with four sons: Donavon, David, Paul and Craig.
Following their marriage they moved to Story City, IA where Carmen taught school in Zering, IA, and Story City, IA, while Carroll attended Iowa State College in Ames. He received his BS in Agriculture in March of 1952. They then farmed for eight years on the Havnen home place in rural Rake. In 1960, they moved to Decorah, IA where they raised their four sons. Carroll worked for four years as the Agriculture Extension Associate for Iowa State University in Winneshiek County, then for 18 years as VP and Loan Officer at Security Bank & Trust, and finally for 8 years at Luther College in the Development Office.
After family and work assignments, Carroll’s main interest was Community Service. As a Depression child, he watched his father help build the schoolhouse in Rake with the WPA Jobs Program. Twenty-three years later Carroll was president of that school board. During the next 40 years, he served on policies boards, often as chair, with 14 not-for-profit agencies and programs including Joint County School System (now Keystone), NEI Agency for Aging (now Northland), Opportunity Homes in Decorah, and Decorah Jobs, which was especially exciting because they established the Industrial Park at Freeport that brought hundreds of jobs to the area. He also volunteered many hours a week at Decorah Genealogy for 13 years in retirement. He was known as the “Obit Guy.” Carroll was president of the Decorah Chamber of Commerce in 1973 and he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Decorah Jaycees in 1975. He also enjoyed hobbies such as woodworking, restoring antique furniture and reading non-fiction books, especially about WWII. Carroll was a member of Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum and the VFW. Carroll and Carmen were active members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Carroll was especially grateful for the excellent care and treatment that he received from his caregivers during his many years’ battle with chronic lung illness and prostate cancer. Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice first helped care for him at his home and then during his brief stay at Aase Haugen Home as well.
Carroll was preceded in death by one son, David on May 27, 1997; his parents, Edwin and Inger; and his brother, John.
He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Carmen of Decorah; three sons, Donavon of Clinton, IA, Paul (Cindy) of Littleton, Co, and Craig of Plymouth, MN; five grandchildren: Erik Sunde, Kaia Sunde, Leif Sunde, Rebecca Sunde and Kalin Sunde; and his sister, Gladys Peterson of Des Moines, IA.
Memorials may be given to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 701 Iowa Ave., Decorah, IA 52101, Decorah Food Pantry or the Decorah Community Free Clinic, both located at First Lutheran Church, 604 W. Broadway, Decorah, IA 52101.
Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database
Decorah Lutheran Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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