Gunda Pederson, 94, of Grand Forks, ND died Sunday, April 22, 2007 at Riverview Health Care Center in Crookston, MN.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM Friday, April 27, 2007 at Evanger Lutheran Church, rural Grand Forks, ND.

Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the funeral at the church.

Gunda Helena Larson was born on January 25, 1913 in Red Lake County, Minnesota the fifth child of Torjus and Sophie (Reis) Larson. She was baptized and confirmed at Telemarken Church near Goodridge, MN. Gunda attended Meadowlark and Brunkeberg rural schools and high school in Crookston, MN.

At the age of 19 she married Sigurd Waldemar Pederson on July 31, 1932 at the Telemarken Church. Together they raised two children, Barbara Elaine and Gary David. Gunda and Sigurd purchased a farm in Grand Forks County and Gunda also worked out of the home as a nurse at Valley Memorial in Grand Forks.

Throughout her years Gunda wrote over 40 pieces of poetry and wrote several stories for which she received many awards. She wrote compositions on Unity and generalization and of perceiving emotional attitudes. Gunda was a firm believer in good literature for children and adults. She enjoyed painting stories of her childhood growing up with her parents and nine siblings in northwest Minnesota. In addition, she sold many floral, scenic and folk paintings. Gunda was a winner of the 1983 North Dakota Art on the Road contest in which a reproduction of her painting appeared on a billboard in North Dakota. Her work has also been recognized at the Heritage Center at the state capital in Bismarck and was placed in the folk art collection.

She enjoyed quilting and was a special friend to many animals. She was a writer for a weekly newspaper; interviewing people who had lived in the area and wrote their stories for publication. She viewed gardening as a must and through her years continued to plant trees, particularly fruit varieties.

Gunda was a member of Evanger Lutheran Church, rural Grand Forks, ND.

Survivors include daughter, Barbara Harris of Bismarck, ND; son, Gary Pederson of Albuquerque, New Mexico; 7 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; sisters, Laura Radtke of Oshkosh, WI, Thordis Langerud of Onamia, MN, Elsie Harter of Wayzata, MN, Ingeborg Johnson of Thief River Falls, MN and Cecelia Ostertag of Oshkosh, WI; and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents; granddaughter, Shauna Rae; brother, Knute; sisters, Helga Marie VeVea, Petra Nigle, and Bertha Kenyon.

Gundas philosophy of life is based on the interpretation of the following poem which she wrote:

Wild Roses
Today I picked wild roses,
From their home beneath a tree;
Their roots entangled with the giants
Of the rich black earth of the valley.

Each a deep rose color
As each bud its petals unfold;
That are as delicate
As the dewdrops they hold.

I picked the lovely blossoms,
But found that hiding there;
Were prickly thorns to remind us"
That beauty without pain is rare!

Life is like that"we find (the thorns)
Are there;
But soon, beauty shows;
Spreading its wings
Everywhere!