DAVID B. LUNDE

David Lunde, 98, died April 26, 2026 at the Griggs County Care Center, with family by his side. David Bruce Lunde was born on the family farm in Sverdrup Township, rural Cooperstown, on October 3, 1927, to Martin and Sophia Lunde. He was the youngest of five children.

David was a young boy on the farm during the “Dirty Thirties” and the Great Depression. Following the worst of those difficult years, —1936—the family moved west to Oregon to begin a new life with new opportunities, as many did during this hard time. Things didn’t pan out as hoped, and in 1939 David’s family moved back to North Dakota, and the farm, to try again. In 1941 the rains returned and prosperity on the farm began anew. David graduated from Cooperstown High School in 1945. In 1947-48 he attended the Lutheran Brethren Bible School in Fergus Falls, MN, and later studied for a year at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. David had a fine tenor singing voice and sang in the Augsburg Choir, which was a rich and memorable experience for him.

In 1953, David married his life-long love, Carolyn Vigesaa, and together they farmed and raised four children. David was a hard-working and very capable farmer and was successful by any measure. He served many years on the Grand Forks Farm Credit Service Board of Directors. His enthusiasm for farming and dedication to his family were evident to all who knew him. In addition to the hard work of successful farming, David and Carolyn loved to travel with their young children, making numerous trips around the United States and Canada. In 1966 they both traveled to Europe, together with Carolyn’s father, and had an adventurous time—primarily in Norway visiting relatives, but also making stops in Berlin, Paris, and London. David and Carolyn’s love of overseas travel took them back to Europe several times and also brought them the special adventure of a visit to their son and his family in Cameroon and Chad, Africa.

Following retirement from farming in 1989, David and Carolyn turned their attention to the care and further upkeep of their farmyard, planting a big garden, and helping their two sons in each of their farming enterprises: grain and cattle. David was of significant help and assistance as he continued to work in the field part time and loved driving the combine at harvest well into his early 90s (and very capably, too!) Other favorite pastimes included playing rook, making homemade ice cream, and singing in the Valley Troubadors and Griggs County Arts Council concerts. He was an avid reader of history and had a lifelong interest in news on the local, national, and international level.

In their retirement, David and Carolyn spent a good portion of the winter months in Ixtapa, Mexico, making good friends, eating good food, and just relaxing in a retirement they had both richly earned. But what an active retirement it was—ocean swimming, parasailing, deep sea fishing, and hiking in nearby mountains.

David was a hands-on grandpa. Most of the grandkids received driving lessons in his red Dodge pick-up, cruising around the soybean stubble fields and down the valley roads. He loved giving them rides in the combine and taking walks to the white bridge to throw rocks in the Sheyenne River. These grandchildren have gone on to revere the life lessons learned from “Grandpa David.”

Following Carolyn’s death in September of 2022, David continued to live alone on the farm, but with some assistance from each of his four children, particularly his two sons who were close by in Cooperstown and engaged in farming and ranching. In November of 2024 David entered the Griggs County Care Center, driving his own car into town on the day of his admission! From there he settled into nursing home life, making friends with fellow residents and the staff. He kept himself busy, writing emails to friends and family including a daily report to his four children. Probably most significant in his last years were the regular articles written for the Griggs County Courier newspaper. Family history, farm and livestock stories, and his final publication, “My Life With Horses”—perhaps the best among his many great stories.

David is survived by his sons Keven (Marla) and Nathan (Marybeth), Cooperstown, ND; daughters Barbara (Mike) Schumacher of Fargo, ND, and Tanya (Jeff) Schaumann of Moorhead, MN; 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Muriel Vigesaa of Cooperstown and Delores Vigesaa of Billings, MT; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Carolyn, grandson David Lawrence, brothers Roger and Erling, and sisters Muriel and Carol.

The family wishes to thank the Griggs County Care Center staff and Hearts in Action Hospice for all their careful and loving support and care during David’s stay.

A Funeral Service will Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 2:00 pm in Trinity Lutheran Church, Cooperstown, ND. Visitation will be Friday, May 8, 2026 from 5:00 pm till 7:00 pm with a Prayer Service at 6:00 pm in the Quam-Plaisted-Cushman Funeral Home, Cooperstown, ND and one hour before services in the Church. Interment will in the Ness Cemetery, Cooperstown, ND.