Melba Geraldine Lundeen

Melba G. Lundeen, age 90, passed away December 1, 2024. 

A Celebration of life service will be held in honor of Melba on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Faith Lutheran Church, 310 Medayto Drive, Spicer, MN. Visitation will be at 1:00 pm and Celebration of Life service at 2:00 pm. There will be an opportunity for fellowship and desserts following internment in the columbarium.  Arrangements are entrusted to the Peterson Brothers Green Lake Funeral Home.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Melba was born on November 16, 1934, in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, the daughter of Gustaf and Marie (Peterson) Gustafson. She grew up in St. Hilaire and graduated from Thief River Falls High School in 1952. In 1954 she received her Teachers Training Certificate and began teaching elementary school at a one-room country schoolhouse in Pennington County. Melba was always eager to reconnect with former students and catch up with their lives at reunions and visits.

On January 2, 1955, Melba was united in marriage to Erling LeRoy Lundeen. They made their home in Goodridge where she worked hard as a farm wife, 4-H leader, and leader of the Ladies Aide. One of Melba’s many farm jobs were to stand on top of the haystack during harvest and manage the forks of hay delivered by Erling on the tractor, settling it into a neat and stable stack. During their 13 years farming, Melba also gave birth to their four children.

When they moved to Elkhorn, Wisconsin in June of 1968, Melba worked as a cook at Lutherdale Bible Camp and later became a para-professional with the Elkhorn Public School District. Melba enjoyed singing in the church choir and was a member of the Sweet Adelines women’s quartet group. She enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, card games, gardening, sewing and knitting.

In 1976, they moved to Spicer, Minnesota, where Melba became employed at Green Lake Bible Camp as a receptionist and bookkeeper. Later she spent many summers as the cook for Green Lake Ministries at Camp House in Brimson, Minnesota and also worked seasonally at Green Lake Nursery in Spicer.

Melba and Erling enjoyed travel in their early retirement years, spending many winters in warmer states. After some years, they settled in Apache Junction, Arizona, and made it their winter home. At Rock Shadows in Apache, Melba enjoyed being part of a horseshoe throwing team. A double ringer in a horseshoe tournament was one of Melba’s moments of fame. She also took lessons and created some beautiful art with stained glass. Melba became an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, in Mesa while also remaining an active member of Faith Lutheran Church in Spicer, serving on the Altar Guild, participating in Bible study groups and singing in the choir.

Melba is survived by her four children, Lana Ferry (Doug Jensen) of Sturgeon Bay, WI., Kathy (William) Neil of Downs, IL, Karen (Ernest) Watson of Mesa, AZ, Mark (Judy) Lundeen of Spicer, and Maria Zanella (AFS student) from Italy; seventeen grandchildren and twenty-six great grandchildren. Also surviving is her brother-in-law, Walter Wiskow of Wadena, besides other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Erling in 2016; sister, Elinor Wiskow in 2024; and grandson, Dayton Tiegs in 2024.