Melba Geraldine Lundeen

Melba G. Lundeen, age 90, of Spicer, passed away Sunday, December 1, at CentraCare Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.

A celebration of life service will be held at Faith Lutheran Church, Spicer on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Arrangements are entrusted to the Peterson Brothers Green Lake Funeral Home in Spicer. www.petersonbrothers.com. Check the funeral home website for service details TBD. Memorials to honor Melba’s life may be directed to: Green Lake Lutheran Ministries or Lutherdale Bible Camp.

Melba Geraldine Lundeen 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. She received her Teachers Training Certificate and began teaching elementary school in Pennington County. 

On January 2, 1955, Melba was united in marriage to Erling LeRoy Lundeen. They made their home in Goodridge and she worked hard as a farm wife. 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. In 1976, they moved to Spicer where Melba became employed at the Green Lake Bible Camp as a receptionist and bookkeeper. Melba began working as a bookkeeper for Ed Holst, LPA in 1984. Later she worked many summers as a cook for the Green Lake Ministries at Camp House in Brimson, Minnesota and at Green Lake Nursery in Spicer. 

Melba and Erling enjoyed spending many winters in Mesa, Arizona, where she was an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. She was also an active member of Faith Lutheran Church, serving on the Altar Guild, bible study groups and sang in the choir.

Melba enjoyed singing and was a member of the Sweet Adelines women’s quartet group. She enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, playing horseshoes and card games, gardening, sewing and knitting.

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 Emery, SD, and Mark (Judy) Lundeen of Spicer; thirteen grandchildren and twenty-three 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.