1917
Earl
2013
Earl Rundgren
July 12, 1917 — August 15, 2013
Funeral services for Earl Rundgren of Starbuck will be held Monday, August 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Fron Lutheran Church in Starbuck. Reverend Paul Johnson will be officiating. Visitation will be held Sunday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck and for one hour prior to services at the church on Monday. Burial will be in Fron Lutheran Cemetery. Military rites will be provided by the Starbuck VFW.
Earl Stanley Rundgren was born July 12, 1917 in Barnum, Minnesota, the youngest of five children born to Aron and Ida (Wedan) Rundgren. Earl graduated from high school in 1935, where he played the trumpet in the band and was a member of the wrestling team. Following graduation, he enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), where he worked for one year earning $30 per month, while fighting forest fires and building roads through the woods near Ely, Minnesota.
He continued his formal education at Virginia Junior College and the University of Minnesota, majoring in agriculture education. His studies were interrupted by the military draft on July 15, 1941, when our nation was at war. Assigned to the Army Quartermaster Corp attached to the Army Air Force, he supervised clerks in the maintenance of military records and assisted in building and maintaining Air Force bases at Salina, Kansas, Tucson, Arizona, Spokane, Washington and Puerto Rico. His military rank was that of Master Sergeant and he served through December 17, 1945.
Earl met his bride-to-be Lola Rainey of Grand Meadow, Minnesota while both were attending the U of M. They were united in marriage on December 22, 1946 at the Grand Meadow Lutheran Church. Their first home was in Little Falls, Minnesota, where Earl was teaching high school agriculture. His FFA chapter voted Lola the recipient of their "Mother of the Year" Award. Earl and Lola enjoyed much in common – their faith, family and their love of music. They sang in their church choir for 60 years and loved camping, picnicking and golfing with family and friends.
Earl worked as an insurance agent in Alexandria for several years before greener pastures beckoned him to Starbuck in 1960, where he was a State Farm insurance agent until retiring in 1983. While in Starbuck, he accepted leadership responsibilities at Fron Church, the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Minnewaska Golf Club, PTA, Starbuck Depot Society, Langhei Aces 4-H Club, Boy Scouts and the Christus House at the U of M campus in Morris.
Earl died on Thursday, August 15, 2013 at the Minnewaska Lutheran Home in Starbuck, MN, having reached the age of 96 years.
Earl is survived by Lola, his wife of 67 years; his four children: JoAnne (Don) Heltner of Minneapolis, Linda (Marty) Kumm of Prior Lake, Steven Rundgren of Ramsey and Dan (Sherry) Rundgren of Hood River, OR; grandchildren: Erika Heltner, David (Sara) Heltner, Christopher Kumm and Stephanie Kumm; great-grandchildren: Tabitha (4) and Donovan (1) were a special addition to Earl's family.
Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck is in charge of the arrangements.
Earl Stanley Rundgren was born July 12, 1917 in Barnum, Minnesota, the youngest of five children born to Aron and Ida (Wedan) Rundgren. Earl graduated from high school in 1935, where he played the trumpet in the band and was a member of the wrestling team. Following graduation, he enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), where he worked for one year earning $30 per month, while fighting forest fires and building roads through the woods near Ely, Minnesota.
He continued his formal education at Virginia Junior College and the University of Minnesota, majoring in agriculture education. His studies were interrupted by the military draft on July 15, 1941, when our nation was at war. Assigned to the Army Quartermaster Corp attached to the Army Air Force, he supervised clerks in the maintenance of military records and assisted in building and maintaining Air Force bases at Salina, Kansas, Tucson, Arizona, Spokane, Washington and Puerto Rico. His military rank was that of Master Sergeant and he served through December 17, 1945.
Earl met his bride-to-be Lola Rainey of Grand Meadow, Minnesota while both were attending the U of M. They were united in marriage on December 22, 1946 at the Grand Meadow Lutheran Church. Their first home was in Little Falls, Minnesota, where Earl was teaching high school agriculture. His FFA chapter voted Lola the recipient of their "Mother of the Year" Award. Earl and Lola enjoyed much in common – their faith, family and their love of music. They sang in their church choir for 60 years and loved camping, picnicking and golfing with family and friends.
Earl worked as an insurance agent in Alexandria for several years before greener pastures beckoned him to Starbuck in 1960, where he was a State Farm insurance agent until retiring in 1983. While in Starbuck, he accepted leadership responsibilities at Fron Church, the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Minnewaska Golf Club, PTA, Starbuck Depot Society, Langhei Aces 4-H Club, Boy Scouts and the Christus House at the U of M campus in Morris.
Earl died on Thursday, August 15, 2013 at the Minnewaska Lutheran Home in Starbuck, MN, having reached the age of 96 years.
Earl is survived by Lola, his wife of 67 years; his four children: JoAnne (Don) Heltner of Minneapolis, Linda (Marty) Kumm of Prior Lake, Steven Rundgren of Ramsey and Dan (Sherry) Rundgren of Hood River, OR; grandchildren: Erika Heltner, David (Sara) Heltner, Christopher Kumm and Stephanie Kumm; great-grandchildren: Tabitha (4) and Donovan (1) were a special addition to Earl's family.
Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck is in charge of the arrangements.
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