Funeral services for Mabel Gunderson, 97, of Timber Lake will be at 10 AM, MT, Monday, September 14, 2015 at the United Parish in Timber Lake. Burial will be at Timber Lake Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be Sunday starting at 6 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM at the church. Mabel passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Mabel Ella Winterberg was born on March 17, 1918, the first child of William and Katherine (Saltenberger) Winterberg. She was born at home near Old Pollock in Emmons County, ND.

Mabel came to Timber Lake with her parents and three siblings in 1925, when she was seven years old. They moved to a farm about ten miles north of Timber Lake. Mabel attended the Chapel school, completing the eighth grade, as that was all that was offered at that time. She was home for one year and then returned to finish the ninth grade at the Bader School. Mabel later completed her high school education by earning her GED in 1986.

Mabel married Ed Gunderson in 1934. They lived in several locations both in town and rural Timber Lake. Eight sons and six daughters were born to them.

Mabel's life was dedicated to her fourteen children (whom she called fourteen angels) and her grandchildren. After Mabel raised her children, she worked at the Timber Lake School for 25 years as a dishwasher and custodian and was also employed by the Green Thumb program for numerous years.

Mabel was a natural at writing poetry and wrote her entire life. She wrote poems for many different occasions and for many of her children and grandchildren. She is a national renowned poet for her poem about Green Thumb. Her latest poem was featured in a TV advertisement for the Good Samaritan Society and hangs in the Good Samaritan Society in New Underwood, SD. Mabel also wrote her life story.

Mabel had a knack for making breads, caramel rolls, and doughnuts. She loved tea and cookies, spice drops, orange slices, circus peanuts, chocolate covered cherries and horses (of which she had a collection). One of her favorite holidays was Christmas, and for over thirty-five years she would bake and send out approximately seventy-five Christmas cakes to all her family and friends. At Christmas she would always set up her Christmas village. In later years her son, Rocky, and daughter, Jayne, would make sure the village was up and ready.

Every year she looked forward to the family reunion when all her family would get together for a long weekend. She especially enjoyed the music provided by her children and grandchildren, the rummage sale, and the raffle where she would always draw the winning tickets. For many years, Mabel, baked sugar cookies for Halloween. Throughout the years children became parents, and brought their children to her door for that traditional orange frosted sugar cookie. She would always offer a cookie to the parents too. Mabel was a rock collector, an avid reader of any kind of book, and relished TV's "Little House on the Prairie" and similar movies.

Mabel was a member of the First Baptist Church in Timber Lake. She was a humble, patient, caring, compassionate lady whose faith was of the utmost importance. She believed there was good in everyone and lived her life accordingly. She lived life by the rule of one day at a time. We will all miss you our beloved mother and grandmother. We all "Love you, dearly"

Mabel is survived by her children, Melvin (Donell) Gunderson of Timber Lake and Sturgis, Beatrice (Ernest) Wilson of Sturgis, SD, Gloria (Jack) Guffey of Rapid City, SD, Sylvia Moret of Hartley, IA, Melford (Gloria) Gunderson of Black Hawk, SD, Carol (Marvin) Sasse of Rapid City, SD, Marlin Gunderson of Pierre, SD, Layne (Karla) Gunderson of Mandan, ND, Jayne (Clyde) Pfeifle of Timber Lake, SD, Tim Gunderson of Pierre, SD, and Terry Gunderson of Sturgis, SD, 33 grandchildren, 53 great grandchildren, 43 great-great grandchildren, one sister, Edith (Paul) Schaeffer of Iowa, one sister-in-law, Irene Winterberg of Timber Lake and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by one daughter, Doris (TD) Helmey Smith, two sons, Edward M. Gunderson and Roland Gunderson, parents, William and Katherine Winterberg, two sisters, Mildred Winterberg and Edna Rowley, two brothers, CC Winterberg and Willis Winterberg, two grandchildren, and one great grandchild.