Dr. Paul D. Gunderson, 82, of rural Harvey, died Saturday, December 17, 2022 on arrival at a Harvey hospital.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 22 at First Lutheran Church, Harvey, ND.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.

The Funeral service will be streamed live on the First Lutheran Church website link:

https://www.harveyfirstlutheran.com/

Dr. Paul Duane Gunderson was born on September 7, 1940 in Ada, MN to Raymond and Tallie (Langhus) Gunderson.

While attending Lutheran Bible Institute, he met the love of his life, Harriet Fossen.  They were married July 1, 1961.  Paul graduated from Lutheran Bible Institute and went to Moorhead State, where he graduated with degrees in Industrial Arts Technology and English.

They welcomed their first child, Rochelle, in 1963, and went on to be missionaries in Papua, New Guinea from 1964-68, during which time they were blessed with two more children, Kari in 1964, and Jeff in 1966.

Upon the family's return to the United States, Paul was an interim principal in Hitterdal, MN. When he completed his term, they moved to Muncie, Indiana where he received his MA in industrial technology at Ball State University.

They returned to Minnesota where he earned his PhD in education and computer system technology from the U of M, Minneapolis.  He spent the next twenty years working for the Minnesota Department of Health and serving as an adjunct professor at various colleges in the area.  They moved to rural Northfield, MN, where he also farmed and remodeled the home and celebrated their fourth child, Faith, in 1978.  Paul and Harriet were foster parents and officially welcomed their fifth child, Jeremiah, who was born in 1981, by adoption.

Paul ended his tenure at the Minnesota Department of Health as the director of the Center for Health Statistics in 1990.  He then moved his family to Marshfield, WI, where he was the director of the National Farm Medicine Center and in charge of the Marshfield Medical Research and Education Foundation.

He had various roles in the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health throughout his career. Several his research projects focused on suicide prevention and mental health in farming communities.

Paul retired in 2000 and moved with Harriet to Heimdal, North Dakota, where he commuted to Devils Lake to establish the Precision Ag Center at Lake Region State College.

During this time, he remodeled the Fossen family farm, and acted as a lay minister for various congregations in the area.  He retired from Lake Region State College and accepted the position of Job Development Authority Director for Harvey, ND.

Paul was successful at writing grant proposals and securing funding for numerous projects locally and nationally.

He was incredibly proud of all his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, one sister-in-law, and one nephew.

He is survived by his wife, Harriet, his children Rochelle (Vernel) Schneider of Goodrich, ND, Kari (Maurice) Durheim of Pierz, MN, Jeff (Cindy) Gunderson of Redwood Falls, MN, Faith (Jake) Blow of Pelican Rapids, MN, Jeremiah (Tina) Gunderson of Marshfield, WI, 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, brothers Loren Gunderson of Colville, WA, Gene (Reta) Gunderson of La Crescent, MN, and Mark (Kathy) Gunderson of Larkspur, CO.

Paul was a lifelong learner and educator with a strong faith in our Heavenly Father, loved his wife and family and strongly believed in community involvement.