A. Louise Lund

Augusta Louise (Ekstam) Lund was born on October 12, 1926, in Laurens, Iowa, to Elmer and Ada (Anderson) Ekstam.  She passed away in Moorhead, Minnesota, on December 10, 2019, at the age of 93.  She was baptized and confirmed in her Christian faith at Bethany Lutheran Church in Laurens.  She graduated from St. Olaf College and taught English at schools in Winthrop, Minnesota, and Clear Lake, Iowa.  She met Reverend Gene J. Lund at dinner after church services on a cold Sunday in January of 1951; Pastor Lund was at Bethany on that day as supply, filling in for a fellow seminarian.  They began a courtship, fell in love, and were married in Laurens on October 14, 1951.  Over the years Gene and Louise enjoyed referring to one another as “my Lutheran Companion.”  His work in the ministry took the young couple to Bloomington, Illinois, to Springfield, Ohio, and to parishes in the Elbow Lake area.  They moved to Moorhead in the summer of 1956 after Gene was called to teach in the religion department at Concordia College.  They joined Bethesda Lutheran Church, where Louise maintained her membership up to the present time.  At Bethesda she was active with teaching Sunday School, serving on the church council, with the Naomi Circle, and singing in the choir.  She played her flute at services many times over the years.

Louise worked for some years in the library at Concordia and enjoyed being in the midst of this hub of activity on campus.  She celebrated her Swedish heritage in many ways.  She toured in Sweden on bicycle with the Youth Hostels organization when just out of college, thus opening the door for much more visiting between family members and relatives in Sweden.  She faithfully observed many Swedish customs in her home, including Santa Lucia Day and Midsummer’s Day.  Louise was active in founding the Swedish Cultural Heritage Society of the Red River Valley in 1976 and not long ago was the honorary Lucia for the group’s celebration.  Louise was the glowing hearth of the family, a solid rock of good sense and deep Christian convictions.  Hers was a generous and gracious spirit.  She instilled in her children a love of music, a love of nature, and reverence for God and for life.

Louise was preceded in death by her parents and husband and by her brothers, John and Fred; she observed in recent months that she was the last of many cousins.  She is survived by her five sons: John (and Diana) – Stillwater; Rolf (and Lisa) – Bemidji; Victor – St. Cloud; Eric (and Danae) – Bemidji; Nathan – Anoka; and by grandchildren Matthew (and Kim), Alycia Louise (and Brandon) Busch, Daniel (and Robin), Anders (and Anni), Blake Matthews, Ethan, Anna, and Britta; and by great-grandchildren Destani, Karson, Jason, Jonah, Cecelia Louise, Nik, Jayson, Ava, Jaelyn, and little Ava; and by many nieces and nephews.

The service of Christian burial will be at 1 pm on December 16, 2019, at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Moorhead; Pastor Dan Forsberg officiating.  Visitation will be at noon, prior to the service.  Funeral arrangements have been made through Wright Funeral Home.