December 12, 1940 – October 5, 2025
Sylvia Noretta Gunderson of Hartley, IA was born December 12, 1940, the fifth of 14 children of Edward and Mabel (Winterberg) Gunderson. She grew up in Timber Lake. She was crowned Homecoming Queen before graduating from Timber Lake High School in 1958.
Sylvia left home at the age of 18 and began life’s greatest adventure – becoming a mom. She had three sons: Tony, Marty and Michael, and later, she also helped raise her grandson, Brennen.
Rarely did a weekend go by that she didn’t have at least a couple grandkids staying with her. She enjoyed the traditions of holidays like Christmas and Halloween and collecting angels, rocks and porcelain dolls. “Little House on the Prairie” was her favorite TV show. She was one of the famous original Gunderson family Mermaids, creator of razzle-dazzle dresses and the “cleaning queen.” She had the ability to turn anything into something magical.
Sylvia was fiercely loyal and protective of those she loved and she lived her life helping others. There wasn’t a person she met that she didn’t help out in some way or other. That carried over into her career at Upper Des Moines and later, through the non-profit S.O.S. organization she created, helping numerous families get through some rough times as she herself had experienced many times. When she was five years old, her dad said, “Someday, Sylvia, you’re going to do something good.” She carried those words in her heart and believed she had made them come true.
On Sunday, October 5, 2025, she passed from this life at the age of 84 years with her son Michael at her side. She wanted everyone to remember this – “Don’t be sad when I die, be happy that I’m not in pain anymore.”
She was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Mabel; son Tony; daughter-in-law Shellee; two brothers, Eddie and Rocky; two sisters, Doris Smith and Bea Wilson; and her sister-in-law and friend, Cookie.
She is survived by her sons: Marty (Roxann) Roth and Micheal Roth (Tiffany Leth); brothers Melvin “Bill,” Mac (Gloria), Jim, Layne (Karla), Tim, and Terry Gunderson; sisters Gloria Guffey, Carol (Marvin) Sasse, and Jayne (Clyde) Pfeifle; eight grandchildren: Nicole, Lashea, Amber, Casy, Anthony, Brooke, Brittany and Brennen; 21 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; her best friends, Lou and Julie; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
(Jayne Pfeifle’s address is Box 142, Timber Lake, SD 57656.)