Raymond
Gunstad, 90
Thief
River Falls &endash; Raymond Gunstad, 90, died
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003 at the Oakland Park
Nursing Home in Thief River Falls.
The
funeral service was on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003 at
the Johnson-Green Funeral Home in Thief River
Falls.
Raymond
John Gunstad was born on April 7, 1913, in
Rocksbury Township, Pennington County, the son of
John and Anna (Anderson) Gunstad. He was baptized
in Mavie Township by the Reverend Henry Pope. He
attended school in Pennington County Districts 133
and 178. As a young man, he worked with his father
on the family farm and also learned the carpentry
trade from his uncle Hank Gunstad.
Raymond
entered the U.S. Army at Fort Snelling on March 18,
1941. He attended Basic Training at Fort Sill,
Oklahoma, and was stationed at Fort Warren,
Wyoming; Fort Lewis, Washington; and Fort Dix, New
Jersey. In his military service overseas he was a
Tank Commander in the Allied Forces North African
Campaign in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia and in
the Italian Campaign from southern Italy to Rome.
Following
his honorable discharge from the Army in Camp
Maxey, Texas, on Sept. 29, 1945, Raymond returned
to the St. Hilaire area. His principal occupation
was as a carpenter; he also engaged in farming. He
was a skilled mechanic and served as a volunteer
fireman. He was a member of the Thief River Falls
American Legion Ecklund-Holmstrom Post #117.
Throughout
his life, Raymond was an avid reader as well as a
clever and creative craftsman. In his retirement,
he enjoyed woodworking and made humorous pieces of
folk art which he shared with members of his
family.
Raymond's
last year was spent at Oakland Park Nursing Home.
He made many friends at Oakland Park and was
honored earlier this year as their Valentine's
King.
Raymond
is survived by a sister, Dorothy Hanson, Thief
River Falls; a brother, Robert Gunstad, Thief River
Falls; several nephews and nieces; and several
cousins, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
He
was preceded in death by his mother, Anna, in 1970
and his father, John, in 1974.
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