GUNVAL KNUDSON

GUNVAL (GUNNY) KNUDSON Gunval (Gunny) Lund Knudson, 95, passed away at his home on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, with his family by his side. Funeral services will be held Friday, August 25 at 11 a.m. at Rock Valle Lutheran Church, rural Granite Falls, with interment following at the church cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. He was born July 18, 1928, on the family farm in Lisbon Township, Yellow Medicine County, to Sander Reuel and Esther (Lund) Knudson. Gunny was welcomed into the Lord's family at his baptism August 12, 1928, at Saint Petri Lutheran Free Church in rural Clarkfield and confirmed in his faith on July 12, 1942, at Saron Lutheran Church, rural Montevideo. He attended country school at District 34 in rural Montevideo. On June 19, 1949 he married the love of his life, Julia Ann Lecy, at Rock Valle Lutheran Church. In June, they celebrated 74 years of marriage. He and Julia Ann raised their seven children on the farm, teaching them that love, kindness, honesty, generosity and hard work were what was important. His renditions of You are My Sunshine, Oh My Darling Clementine and the auctioneer's call entertained his children over and over again. He was always full of life, laughter and love and was so proud of his family. At 11 years old, Gunny endured the hardship of losing his father. He was determined to work hard and make a good life for his family. He was proud to be a farmer and wore it on his sleeve, starting out as a hired man after he left school. In 1956, he started his own farming operation with the support of neighbor Merle Phinney, who rented him land and staked him the necessary equipment. The Knudson family has continued to farm that original piece of land on a handshake agreement with the Phinney family. He was forever grateful for that friendship. Gunny continued to be an active farmer until his death. His 67-year farming career was celebrated last fall when Kare 11's Boyd Huppert did a story called "Gunny at the Wheel" on four generations of the Knudson family farming together. It would be Gunny's final harvest. Gunny served on many boards including Tri-County Co-op Oil for 20 years and the Minnesota Falls Elevator board. He was also a member of the Farmers Union and the National Farmers Organization. He was a charter member of the Southern Minnesota Sugar Beet Cooperative and a sugar beet grower for the past 50 years. This past December he was honored with an award for those 50 years. He was an active member of Granite Falls Lutheran Church and served on the Board of Trustees. He recently became an associate member of Rock Valle Lutheran Church. He was also a charter member of the Granite Falls Lions Club. Gunny enjoyed fishing and hunting trips with his family and friends. His fishing shack in South Dakota was always a special place for him and his buddies. He had many friends but he especially appreciated his kind and loyal friend Orlynn Hegna. Gunny loved lefse, lutefisk, John Deere green, Chevrolet and the DFL. He enjoyed weekends at his home on Lake Amelia with family and friends, coffee with the guys, winning nearly every game of Rummikub, and talking politics. He had a wonderful memory and could tell many stories about his life experiences. One of his fondest memories was of shaking the hand of John F. Kennedy in Sioux Falls, a story he loved to tell. Gunny will be deeply missed by his children: Barbara (Dave) Davis and daughters Kim (Dennis) Marx and Heidi (Brad) Goldbeck; Sandra (Mark) Beito and children Thomas, Julia (Casey) Coulson and Laura (Kevin) Jaunich; Patty (David) Springer and children Troy (Cathy) and Wendy (Tim) O'Neil; Karen (Mitch) Brovold and children Nathan (Amy) and Stephanie (Nick) Berry; Keith (Nancy) Knudson and children Alyssa (Justin) Hamann, Evan (Morgan) and Kalli; Kevin (Carrie) Knudson and children Holly (Jason) Ims, Katie (Nick) Hageman and Courtney (Tyler) Kleinhuizen; and Lisa (Jay) Seiler and children Jayson and Jennessa. Gunny is also survived by 37 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; his brother Stanley (Carolyn) Knudson; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Julia Ann on July 22, 2023, sister Beulah Eekhoff, brother Raymond Knudson, and his parents. Dad, we will always carry your memory in our hearts and will miss you dearly. Blessed be your memory.