Martha Maren Lunstrum Obituary (1927

Martha M. Lunstrum, 94, formerly of Lexington, Illinois, died Tuesday, September 13, 2022, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 17, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Lexington, with Pastor Kyle Ronchetto officiating. With a visitation one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will follow at the Lexington Cemetery. Calvert-Johnson & Musselman Memorial Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church, Carle Hospice, the Lexington Food Pantry, or a charity of the donor's choice. Martha Maren Olson was born September 28, 1927, at Frost, Minnesota, the daughter of Albert and Emma (Durby) Olson. She attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota for one year and then graduated from the Chillicothe (Missouri) Business School. She worked in a secretarial pool at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where she met her husband. She and Oscar A. Lunstrum were married on October 29, 1950, in Ames. They moved to Lexington in 1956, where Oscar managed the seed corn plant and Martha was a homemaker and community volunteer. Oscar died September 4, 2000. Survivors include Martha's children, Marie (Mark) Oberst, Nashotah, Wisc.; June Blood, Crawfordsville, Ind.; Paul (Donna) Lunstrum, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Roberta (Doug) Garringer, West Des Moines, Iowa; Lorene (Robert) Grimes, Normal, Ill.; a sister, Mary Pirsig, Albert Lea, Minn.; a special niece, Surfiene Sorensen, West Des Moines; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. Martha was preceded in death by her husband; parents; one sister, Genevieve Walker; three brothers, Arnold Olson, Robert Olson, and Mario Olson; and a son-in-law, Michael Blood. Above all, Martha was a strong Christian who cherished her faith. She was a longtime member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, and a dedicated volunteer with the church, BroMenn Hospital, and several community organizations. She and Oscar enjoyed traveling, helping their children with home projects, and attending Illinois Wesleyan basketball games. Martha was especially proud of her Norwegian heritage. She loved to offer hugs to others and joke with others. She was a dearly loved mother and grandmother.