Florence W. Gunderson

Florence Wilmina (Vande Brake) Gunderson, 91, of Gretna, Nebraska, formerly of Ponca, Nebraska passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Brookestone Meadows in Elkhorn, Nebraska. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 11, 2013 at Salem Lutheran Church in Ponca, Nebraska with Rev. Dr. Bud Christensen and Rev. Ron Youngerman officiating. Visitation with the family present will begin at 9:00 A.M. at the church, prior to the funeral. Burial will be at the Ponca Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Gretna, Nebraska, with a short prayer service at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2013. Arrangements are under the direction of Mohr Funeral Home in Ponca, NE. Online condolences to the family may be posted at www.mohrfuneralhome.com.Florence was born on November 16, 1921, the daughter of Bert J. and Bessie (Tiemersma) Vande Brake in rural Orange City, Iowa. She received her elementary education in a rural school in the Orange City area. In 1939 she graduated from Sioux Center High School. After attending Northwestern Junior College for one year she taught in Orange City rural schools. She also taught in Primghar, Iowa; Little Lake City Schools in Santa Fe Springs; California, and Sioux City, Iowa where she taught first grade. In 1958 she received her BA from Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa. She taught in Ponca for 18 years retiring in 1987.On September 11, 1959 she married Randall Gunderson from Ponca, Nebraska in the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. She lived her entire married life in the Ponca area. After the death of her husband in 2000, she moved to Gretna, Nebraska in 2001 and lived there the rest of her life.She was baptized and confirmed in the First Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. In 1960 she became a member of Salem Lutheran Church in Ponca, Nebraska and was active in the church. She served on the church council, held offices in the Women's organization, Luther League sponsor, Sunday School teacher, Bible School teacher and Bible Study leader. She was also a 4-H leader, leader of Adult Basic Education and Secretary/Treasurer of the local AAL branch. She was an associate member of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Gretna.Survivors include her children, Ron Gunderson of Doniphan, Nebraska, Beth (Larry) Rippe of Gretna Nebraska, and Gregg (Julie) Gunderson of Aurora, Nebraska; grandchildren, Angela (Andrew) Zegers of Lincoln, Nebraska, Stephanie, Anthony and Jonathan Rippe of Gretna, Nebraska; brothers, Wilber "Bill" Vande Brake of Orange City, Iowa; David (Kathy) Vande Brake of Sacramento, California; Marion "Mick" (Betty) Vande Brake of Orange City, Iowa and sister Marla (Delano) Horstman of Omaha, Nebraska, sisters-in-law Gerry Mouw of Alton Iowa, Ardith Gunderson of Ponca, Nebraska, Bertha Mae Kaspar of Granbury Texas, Norma Whitman of Tulsa Oklahoma, Opal Olson of Lincoln, Nebraska, brother-in-law George Durand of Fremont, NE; and many nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; sisters, Josephine Wielenga and Betty Mouw, brothers-in-law Lou Wielenga, Kenneth Mouw, George Lamprecht, Roy "Stubb" Gunderson, Joe Kaspar, George Kaspar, Floyd Snyder, Harold Whitman, Larry Olson; sisters-in- law, Wilma "Jean" Vande Brake, Joan Vande Brake, Arloa Vande Brake, Gertrude Vande Brake, Amy Lamprecht, Hazel DeEtte Durand, Shirley Wersinger; and a number of nieces and nephews.