Carrie Elizabeth Lunke, age 103, of Milaca, formerly of Thief River Falls, died June 6, 2004 in Milaca. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 1 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls with Rev. John Wollenzien officiating. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Thief River Falls. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday. Music will be provided by Dr. Tyrone Birkeland and Cassie Vedders. Casketbearers will include Mark Claffy, Brent Lunke, Ronald Lunke, Wayne Lunke, David Schmitt and Phillip Vedders. Carries grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren will serve at honorary casketbearers.



Carrie was born January 2, 1901 at Markarlby, Sweden to Carl and Anna (Jansdotter) Anderson. The family immigrated to the US in 1903 and homesteaded in the Mud Lake area of East Valley Township, MN. Carrie attended Pioneer School near Holt, MN and after her fathers death in 1916, she was hired to work for many families in the area. She married Hilmer M. Lunke in 1921 and they bought a forty acre farm in East Valley Township. In 1929, they sold the farm and moved to Thief River Falls, where Hilmer sold Ford automobiles and Carrie was a wife and homemaker. They moved to Argyle, MN in 1937 and Hilmer became a John Deere salesman and dealer. In 1940, they moved back to Thief River Falls where Hilmer was a manager and later a partner in a John Deere business. They sold the business in 1956 and lived in several places where Hilmer managed John Deere businesses. They returned to Thief River Falls in 1966, where they built their retirement home. Hilmer passed away in 1984 and Carrie continued to live in Thief River Falls until September 1990, when she moved to Milaca. As a young girl she learned to crochet and this was a hobby she enjoyed to the age of 100 years old. She made afghans for all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Carrie was a very talented lady who could sew or fix almost anything. She also enjoyed playing cards and other games. She will always be remembered as a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother.



She is survived by her children, Cliff of Alexandria, MN, Harlie of Laguna Hills, CA, Donald and wife Joyce of Park Rapids, MN and Joyce and husband Herb Claffy of Milaca, MN; 10 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; brother, Levin Anderson of Fifty Lakes, MN; sister, Gladys Gillespie of Savage, MN and Prescott Valley, AZ; sisters-in-law, Olive Lunke and Verna Lunke, both of Thief River Falls and Hazel Jorland of Middle River, MN; also by many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Hilmer, brothers, Carl, Ragnar and Edwin Anderson and daughter-in-law, Goodie Lunke.