Gudrun Hanstad

1927 - 2022

Mount Vernon - Gudrun Torseth Hanstad, a lifelong resident of the Skagit Valley, passed away on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. She was born in Conway on November 30, 1927, the daughter of Sivert and Marit Torseth. She graduated from Conway Elementary School in 1941 and Mount Vernon High School in 1945. She continued her education graduating from Multnomah School of the Bible, Portland, Oregon. In 1948 she married Milton Hanstad. They served in American Sunday School Union for a year before settling in Mount Vernon where they raised their family.

Gudrun served alongside her husband for 15 years at Bethel Chapel in Grandview near Arlington. She was a respected Bible study leader at Bethany Covenant Church which she attended all her life. She was a member of the choir and sang in a women's trio. Most of her life was dedicated to caring for and nurturing her large family. Her life verse was Philippians 1:21: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

She is survived by her children: Cathy (Rick) Best, Nancy (Terry) Flajole, Judy (Don) Robinson, Sharon (Larry) Anderson, Becky (Doug) Vetvick, Marilee (Bob) Erickson, Tim (Chitra) Hanstad, John (Denise) Hanstad, Cindy (Ted) Cummings; 24 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Melvin and Stanley Torseth, and her sister Louise Bottles. She was preceded in death by her husband Milton Hanstad, her brothers Owen and Arnold Torseth, and two granddaughters.

A memorial service will be held November 25, 2022, at 1:00pm at Bethany Covenant Church in Mount Vernon. The service will be live-streamed at rtmp.youtube.com. Memorials may be given to Bethany Covenant Church, Hospice of the Northwest, that provided care in her last weeks, or New Earth Recovery and Children of the Valley, two organizations that Mom supported. To share memories of Gudrun please visit www.kernfuneralhome.com.