Merrill Gunderson 78 of Salome, AZ. died Friday January 15, 2010 at the LaPaz Regional Hospital in Parker, AZ. Funeral services were held Friday January 22, 2010 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church with Rev. John Paulson officiating. Interment was in the Salem Lutheran Cemetery rural Wessington Springs. Military rites were provided.

Funeral arrangements were announced by, the Basham Funeral Home of Wessington Springs.

Merrill J. Gunderson was born on May 12, 1931 to James and Kathryn (Wilson) Gunderson at Wessington Springs, SD. He attended school in Wessington Springs and graduated from Brooking Agriculture School.

He served in the US Army from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean Conflict.

On May 8, 1954 he was united in marriage to Dakota Knigge and to this union four children were born. They lived and farmed in Jerauld County until 1965 when they moved to Michigan and from there to Montana and on to Washington State in 1968. His life long occupation was farming with some construction work and long distance trucking.

He retired in 1995 from farming and after his wife retired they enjoyed the “snowbird” life wintering in Arizona and going where ever in the summer months.

He is survived by his wife Dakota of Salome, AZ, two sons Randy and his wife Tere and Dana and his wife Kara both of Ephrita, Wash, two daughters Rhonda Jensen and her husband Al of Ephrita, Wash. and Sonja Gunderson of Moss Lake, Wash, 8 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren all of Washington State, one sister Gayle Cranston of Huron and many nieces and nephews.

He was, preceded in death by his parents.

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