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DeWayne “Gundy” Gerhard Gunderson passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. DeWayne was born on May 6, 1943 in St. Croix Falls Wisconsin. He lived on a farm outside Almelund, MN with his parents Esther and Melvin and older brother Lowell.

DeWayne attended the Almelund one room school until high school when he began attending Taylors Falls High School where he played on the football team and was manager and bookkeeper for many other sports. He worked on the family farm throughout his childhood.

He met Wanda Lauseng through mutual friends and their mutual love of dancing at Lakeside. They dated a few months and married the love of his life on December 19, 1966. They eventually bought a trailer house and placed it on the family farm where they lived until their fourth child was born in 1975. They then bought and moved onto a farm whose property bordered the back side of the current family farm.

DeWayne continued farming both properties for many years. Some may say he was on the forefront of farming for his time being the first farm in Chisago County to install tile and terrace on his hillside farm. He continued farming both properties as well as the property his brother Lowell lived on up until 1987.

In 1985 he and Wanda purchased a paint and wallpaper store in White Bear Lake where DeWayne discovered his love and talent for mixing paint and stain. They opened a branch of this store in St. Croix Falls where they worked together for a couple of years before an electrical fire put an end to this chapter in their lives. In 1987 they moved off the farm they purchased and moved to the Twin Cities.

After this move DeWayne decided to become an over the road truck driver for CRST. A couple of years later Wanda decided to drive with him over the road. Together they saw 48 states in 5 years. This gave them the opportunity to finally see the country. After those five years together driving over the road, Wanda and DeWayne moved back to his childhood farm to help his mother. DeWayne remained there until his last day.

DeWayne was preceded in death by his father Melvin, father-in-law Leonard Lauseng, sister-in-law Penny, mother Esther, wife Wanda, niece Phyllis, sister-in-law Mary, mother-in-law Maudine, brother Lowell and son-in-law Darrin. 

He is survived by his children Tawnia (Jeff) Mitchell, Tristana Gunderson, Dyon (Kim Busse) Gunderson, Tabetha (Walter Lanegran) Forcier, Grandchildren Tiffany, Kayla, Chelsie, Kiawana, Cheyenne, Dakota, Madelyn, Dariana and Kylie, as well as several great grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by many extended family and friends.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Almelund, MN Visitation will be one hour prior at church and 4 to 7 PM Monday, June 22, 2026 at Grandstrand Funeral Home in Lindstrom, MN. Burial at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery immediately after the Funeral Service.

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