Harold "Sonny" Sunstrom

Harold “Sonny” Sunstrom passed away peacefully at home under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley in Wadena, Minnesota, on April 12, 2025. Memorial Services will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Karvonen Funeral Home in Wadena. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the funeral home. Sonny will be laid to rest at Wadena Cemetery, Wadena, Minnesota.

Harold was born at home on September 19, 1940, to Clyde and Frances (Uselman) Sunstrom. He graduated from New York Mills High School in 1959 and proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 1959 to 1963. On August 19, 1961, he was united in marriage to Kathleen Guck in San Clemente, California.

Following his military service, Harold served as a Wadena police officer from 1963 to 1965 before moving to St. Cloud for employment opportunities. In 1974, he returned to Bluffton to take over the family farm and also worked as a rendering truck driver for 27 years.  From 1997 to 2007, Harold and Kathie lived at West Leaf Lake, where they built many cherished family memories. They later moved to New York Mills to enjoy condo living and eventually settled in Wadena, where they appreciated the comforts of apartment life and daily coffee and conversation in the community room.

Harold had a lifelong love of hunting, fishing, playing cards and pool—earning him the nickname “The Cutter”—as well as telling jokes and spending time with family.

Harold is preceded in death by his parents; brothers Jim and Loren. 

Harold is survived by his wife Kathie; daughter Laurie Sunstrom of Wadena, MN; son John (Nancy) Sunstrom of Sioux Falls, SD; grandchildren Justin (Brandi) Berg, Amanda Berg, Samantha (Julian) Calderon, Paige Sunstrom; twelve great-grandchildren; sister Shirley Farrell; brothers Jerry Sunstrom and Gene (Patti) Sunstrom.

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