Galen Sundberg

Galen Stanley Sundberg was born to Stanley and Leanna Fricke Sundberg on Aug. 24, 1951, at Grafton, N.D. He passed away April 22, 2015, at the age of 63.

At the age of 15, he answered the call of the Lord and was converted and baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, on March 21, 1967, by Minister Dave Penner at Grafton, N.D. He was united in marriage to me, Doris Koehn, on Dec. 23, 1973, by Minister Wilbur Koehn at Cimarron, Kan. A son and a daughter were born to this union.

Galen never knew a stranger -- he loved to visit with everyone he met and made many friends in the different communities in which he lived.

He grew up as a farm boy in the Grafton area. His love for growing potatoes, which became his lifetime passion, began in those years.

We lived at Grafton until 1988 when the family moved to Karlsruhe, N.D., a move of about 170 miles. He had a pioneer spirit and enjoyed development of new areas. There were only three families at Karlsruhe, and Dad was really hoping to see the growth of a congregation there.

That dream was never really fulfilled, and we continued to worship with the Grafton congregation. In 2005, he moved to Grand View, Idaho. He thoroughly enjoyed Idaho and the Grand View congregation, but at the time of his death Galen and Doris were working toward relocating to Chino Valley, Ariz. He died of natural causes in a remote area of Utah while en route from Arizona to Idaho.

Left to mourn his departure are his wife, Doris, Grand View; son Sherwin and wife, Nita, Grand View; daughter: Connie and husband, Lyndon Koehn, and their children Caleb, Isaac, Russell and Laura, Cimarron, Kan.; two sisters, Deanna and husband, Linford Unruh, Darla and husband, Anthony Amoth; one brother, Gene and wife, Beth, all of Grafton, N.D.; sister in-law Karen Sundberg of Grand Rapids, Mich.; also a special cousin, Gail and Paul Hughes, Hazelton, Idaho.

The Koehn family will also feel the loss. He was predeceased by his parents, one brother, and two infant nieces.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, at the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, in Grand View with ministers Les Isaac, Greg Jantz, and Don Fricke officiating. Burial will follow at the adjoining Mennonite Cemetery.