About Me
Louise Gunderson Shimon
(Click here to go to this blog’s home page.)
As a Midwesterner, I grew up on a farm (mostly grain, very little livestock during my lifetime) southwest of the rural town of Rolfe in northwest Iowa. My father, Deane Gunderson, was a retired farmer with two engineering degrees he applied to design and make farm machinery as well as a multitude of other “artistic” and/or very functional creations. My father passed away on July 1, 2010.
My mother, Marion Abbott Gunderson, was an art major who painted watercolors at least as early as 1933 and as recently as 2000. She also worked for the Rolfe Public Library for thirty-five years, retiring in 1998. She was Marion the Librarian! She passed away in 2004, shortly after the new Rolfe Public Library was built.
One goal of this blog is to enlighten others about my mother’s watercolors in the hope to increase interest in prints of her work. Profits from the prints will benefit the Rolfe (Iowa) Public Library.
I have an interest in farming, but have a lot to learn about what all goes on in agriculture, even though I grew up on a farm. I also worked as an elementary school teacher-librarian for seventeen years (twelve in the Ankeny Community School District). I love children’s literature. (No…no bun on the back of my head!) I love the rich heritage I’ve inherited through my Mother’s work (paintings, librarianism, volunteerism, raising six children) and my father always using every teachable moment to try to broaden my horizons. I feel that I have passed some of this interest and love to my two adult daughters. Hopefully I will pass some of that (plus, perhaps some pure random goofiness) along to others via this blog.
For information about where to view/purchase prints, click on the “View and Order Prints” link that is at the right of this blog’s home page.
Thank you for your interest,
Louise (mariongundersonart@gmail.com)
Marion Gunderson Art (and the Farmer's Daughter) 
July 17, 2009 at 1:02 pm |
I didn’t notice this section before! It is beautiful, Louise. I love what you said and how you said it. I think my favorite line is about Daddy and “teachable moments.” But it is all excellent. Including the “no bun” line! 🙂 So glad (and good) you created this section.
October 7, 2009 at 5:52 am |
I too just noticed this section. What a lovely tribute to Mother and Daddy. I agree with Peg about the “teachable moments.” Louise, how about posting a photo of yourself.
October 7, 2009 at 8:25 am |
Marti, I know I always like it when I can see a photo of someone on his/her blog, so I should add a photo. Thank you for giving me a little nudge. I’ll look for a current photo.
May 15, 2010 at 2:04 pm |
Louise,
Great to hear from you. It sounds like you are enjoying life and have also been doing good for others! Sounds very much like the Weese I remember. I am no longer at Panera (still a frequent customer). I am CFO at Brown Shoe Company still in St. Louis area. Life is quite busy. My older kids are grown but Leslie and I have a little guy (Matthew who is 6 and as I write this must say is growing too fast). We don’t get to IA much but stay in touch “regularly but not frequently” with Mike and Linda.
Warm regards,
Mark
May 17, 2010 at 11:47 pm |
Mark,
I’m glad to hear from you, as well. It’s been a long time since anyone’s called me “Weese”! I’ll email sometime under separate cover when things settle down with my dad a little. (I hope those aren’t famous last words. I’m behind on a bunch of stuff. But, I do intend to touch base with you.)
Louise
February 22, 2012 at 7:30 am |
Hi Louise,
I talked to Sally and unfortunately she had no memory of our mother having any of your mother’s watercolors. So if Mother did have one it is no where in the family now. I managed to misplace your contact information, but found this so please reply so I will know that you got this message.
Dallas
December 19, 2012 at 12:35 pm |
Louise,
I am one of the granddaughters of Arthur Henry Gunderson and found your blog, along with wonderful articles about your parents, while doing some genealogy research on my family. One of the most special things I found was an article your Dad wrote about my grandfather, “favorite Uncle Art”, after Grandpa died.
I also stumbled upon a quote from the book your mother wrote, Gunderson Ancestry, volume 1, and wondered if you know where I might find a copy. My mother gave my sisters and I copies of the book, Christensen, The Families of Ever and Nelia Christensen but we never knew she wrote about the Gunderson side.
I have enjoyed your blog very much and look forward to seeing more posts. Happy holidays to you and the rest of the Gunderson family.
Kind regards, Sarah Louise Grosse Scoringe
December 19, 2012 at 1:20 pm |
Sarah,
How wonderful to hear from you. I am in the midst of running errands before a storm is supposed to hit Iowa. I will private message right away with Clara’s email address. Clara is the one who has the extra copies of Mother’s books. I believe she has extras of the Gunderson books. Mother would be so EXCITED to know of your touching base and asking.
Louise
December 19, 2012 at 8:59 pm |
Hi Sarah! We’ve met you, right?!? Were you at the Gunderson reunion in Iowa in . . . oh . . . 1978? If so, do you still have the pic of you in the homeplace barn? If not, we can get it to you! Maybe I’m way off track here, though. Gotta run. Out the door. So glad you discovered the blog–for you, Louise, and all of us! 🙂 Peg (Gunderson) Moore–Deane and Marion’s 5th child, next one older from (wonderful :-)) Louise. 🙂
December 22, 2012 at 10:40 am |
Hi Peg!
Yes, we’ve met. I was at the reunion in 1978 and in the photo in front of the beautiful GUNDERLAND barn. I sat on the hood of the truck next to my sister, Suzanne. I was holding my cousin, Dana, on my lap. I remember you all pretty well. A few things still stand out in my mind. First was that you were all so welcoming and warm to us…especially us kids. You took my sisters and I on a walk through the corn…something we had never done before. I also remember baby Abigail. I think she was just a few months old at the time. Oh…and the old schoolhouse. It was one of the first times I remember seeing something and finding it amazing that I was standing somewhere where my grandfather stood as a boy.
I hope you are all well and surviving the storms in Iowa (I assume you are still living there…) Stay warm and happy, happy holidays!
More later…
Sarah