Irene Marie Lunden

Irene Marie Lunden, age 94 of Maple Lake, MN, passed away in peace on Thursday, May 4th, 2023 in Buffalo.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11, 2023 at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Maple Lake with visitation from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Care Chapel in Maple Lake. Fr. Kevin Magner will be the Celebrant. Burial will take place at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Grandma, you showed kindness and care for others right on up to the end, you taught us to say "Thank You" in all the right places. Your smile lit up the world for us and that grin of yours will stay in our memory always. At the age of 94 we saw the smile and amazement that came over the faces of all the people that heard you recite "Somebody's Mother", a poem that you learned in 4th grade and committed to memory, we all knew that poem had a special meaning to you and now it has profoundly changed those of us who listened.

Born to Alf and Anna (Forester) Kaste on July 3rd, 1928 in Conway, ND. Her early years were spent on a farm a short distance outside of Conway, ND that instilled in her a love of music, curiosity of nature, and a love of life and learning. She found a special calling in her teens when she was asked to teach at the small one room school house just down the road from the family farm. She possessed a beautiful Alto voice and performed with her brother, Norman, as members of a band that played at dances in the rural towns surrounding Conway. She took correspondence courses to learn bookkeeping, took a job in Grand Forks, ND, and in September of 1950, she married Richard Carol Lunden at St. Mark's Church in Conway, ND. She then lived in Grand Forks raising their first born alone while Richard served his tour in the U.S. Army. After Richard returned, she stayed at home providing a caring and loving home for her husband and 4 children.

She is survived by her son, Michael (Katrina) Lunden, daughter, Mary (LeRoy) Harvala, son, John (Michelle) Lunden, and son, Paul (Susan) Lunden; grandchildren, Anna (Loren) Jepson, Alicia Harvala, Andrew (Angela) Harvala, Elsa (Johnathan) Pondish, Felicity Lunden, Indiana Lunden, Tessa (Lee) Vang, and Alexander (Erica) Lunden; great-grandchildren, Aubrey, William, Evelyn and Isabel Harvala, Jett Lunden, Oliver and Sullivan Lunden, and Ulysses Vang; and step great-grandchildren, Faith, Seth and Anna Jepson. Embracing her in heaven are her father, Alf; mother, Anna; her brother, Norman; great-granddaughter, Avalynn Lunden; and of course her loving husband, "Grandpa Dick" who has been waiting for her to join him forevermore.

Grandma, the kindness you showed to everyone around you has influenced us all, you provided a template for us to follow in life that just plain made us better. The world will be a changed and diminished place now that we no longer have you here.

"And by the way, we remember all about the times that you swept us out of the house with a broom, things such as these are your legend."

Obituary, Guestbook, and Funeral Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com

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