Mildred Martha 'Millie' Gunderson, 90
Mildred "Millie" Gunderson, 90, of Sidney, formerly of Kalispell, died Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007, at the Sidney Health Center Extended Care Facility. Funeral services were held Feb. 27 at Fulkerson Memorial Chapel in Sidney. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Friday, March 2, in the Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kalispell, under the direction of the Fulkerson Funeral Home of Sidney and Johnson Funeral Home of Kalispell.
Mildred Martha Gunderson was born Dec. 9, 1916, the fourth of 13 children to Anna (Fenster) and Theodore Tweet on her parents' farm near Larson, N.D. She grew up and worked on her parents' farm, as well as in the homes of neighboring farms. During her formative years, she attended school in Larson and was confirmed in the St. Olaf Lutheran Church.
On July 17, 1937, Mildred married Orton C. Gunderson in Cooperstown, N.D. They lived in Larson for the next 33 years where Orton was employed by the Great Northern Railroad.
Mildred managed the Farmers Cooperative Telephone Company in her home for 13 years. She also worked for the village clerk of Larson for more than 20 years.
In 1971, Mildred and Orton retired and moved to Kalispell, where Orton passed away in 1973. Mildred continued to make her home in Kalispell for the next 18 years. While in Kalispell, she worked at the Head Start Center, was a member of the Homemakers Club and the Eagles Auxiliary, and was very active doing volunteer work in nursing homes. She moved to Sidney in 1989 where she lived until her passing. She had lived at the Sidney Health Center Extended Care since 1997.
Mildred was a member of Pella Lutheran Church in Sidney.
She loved to garden, sew, bake, write letters, play cards, read, and spend time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. She had a great love for family and friends.
Survivors include her son, Jerome Gunderson, of Springfield, Ore.; daughters, Sharon McMillen of Sidney, and Sandra and Allan Fredrickson of Kalispell; grandchildren, Shari, Natalie, Valerie, Pamela, Margo, Michael, Melissa and Jodie; 19 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-granddaughters; brothers, Norman Tweet of Aneta, N.D., Glenn and Inez Tweet of Seattle, and Earl and Maysel Tweet; sisters, Doris and Arthur Peterson-Hughe of Conrad, and Irma Steffenson of Rowlette, Texas; sister-in-law, Lyla Tweet, of Williston, N.D.; brother-in-law, Pat Mader, Dickinson, N.D.; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; sisters, Delores Tanberg and Alma Mader; and five brothers, Lester, Donald, Berneil, Clarence and Lorence.