Gudrun Van Fleet, 105, of Bowman, North Dakota passed away on December 27, 2010 at the Southwest Healthcare Long Term Center in Bowman.

Funeral Services for Gudrun will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 30, 2010 at the Southwest Healthcare Chapel. Pastor Galen Strand will officiate with burial to follow in the Bowman Cemetery. Visitation for Gudrun will begin on Wednesday afternoon at the Krebsbach and Kulseth funeral home Chapel.

Gudrun Agnes Nordby was born in Omsted County in MN to Olaf and Maren Nesland Nordby on November 11, 1905. She spent her childhood at a homestead near New England, ND and graduated from New England High School. She taught school near New England after attending Dickinson Normal school. On May 7, 1926 she married John "Jack" Fresonke and they set up farming south of New England. To this union three children were born: Fredrick "Fritz", Marlene, and John Goodwin (who died in infancy). Jack died in 1934 and Gudrun, Fritz, and Marlene moved to New England where Gudrun ran a nursery school. On December 22, 1940 Gudrun married Harold Van Fleet. They lived and worked on several farms in Slope and Hettinger Counties except when Harold was in the service when Gudrun, Fritz, and Marlene moved to Kelliher, MN to be near her family. One daughter, Ellen, was born to this union.

In 1960 Harold, Gudrun, and Ellen moved to Bowman, ND where Gudrun enjoyed the rest of her life. Gudrun was very active in community organizations including the community chorus where she sang solos for the Christmas concert for many years, and the Bowman Lutheran church choir. She sang for many funerals in the area, singing in both English and Norwegian. She was also involved with the Sod Busters, Lutheran Ladies Aid, the Legion and Sunset Home Auxiliaries. In her spare time she enjoyed playing whist and pinochle with friends and family, zipping through crossword and jigsaw puzzles, reading most any kind of books and crocheting. Many friends and family were the proud recipients of her afghans and doilies.

Gudrun was preceded in death by her parents, six brothers and two sisters, her husbands, one son, her daughter-in-law Fern Fresonke, and her son-in-law Gary Murphy.

Gudrun will be greatly missed by her son Fritz and Sally Fresonke, Billings, MT, daughters Marlene and Glenn Powell Amidon, ND, and Ellen Murphy, Fort Yates, ND. She leaves grandsons Myles and Jane Powell, Dale and Pat Powell, Jeff and Sue Powell, Jim and Wanda Powell, Dean and Stephanie Fresonke, Garek and Melissa Murphy and Drew Murphy. She leaves her granddaughters Colleen and Randy Livingson, Debra and Dan McDonough, Janell Addams, Elizabeth Murphy, and BillieJo Murphy along with 25 great grand children and six great great grandchildren. She also is survived by her sister Louise Nordby Hoyum, Bemidji, MN, her favorite cousins Dee Horne Ronning, Long Beach, CA and Isabel Horne Alford, Oregon City, OR and her very special friend Petra Klug, Bowman, ND.

Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements.