Rose Tungseth

Rose Tungseth, 98, of Garden Grove, CA, formerly of Fallbrook, CA, and Kennedy, MN, died April 29, 2007.

Rose Elsa Westman was born June 6, 1908, in rural Teien Township, MN, near Drayton, ND, to John Peter and Esther (Stallholm) Westman. Her elementary education was in rural “District 11,” Minnesota. She graduated from John A. Johnson High School in St. Paul, MN.

On January 2, 1932, she married Erling Toreson Tungseth, also from Teien. Their first home was in Thief River Falls, MN, where Erling began working. They subsequently started farming near Donaldson, then Stephen, MN. In 1941 they moved to a farm home near Kennedy, MN, where they raised their family – Allan, Alice, Esther, and John.

They made the Teien Covenant Church their church home, where Rose served in many capacities, including Sunday school teacher and superintendent and ladies aid chairman.

In the Red River community she belonged to and worked in a homemakers club. In 1960 they received a special recognition for betterment of crops and livestock from the Red River Valley “Farmers and Homemakers” organization.

When John left home for college they moved to Gardena, CA, where she became the bookkeeper at the Hawthorne Christian Schools and Erling became a machinist. They served in numerous capacities at the Inglewood Covenant Church. Their next home was Fallbrook, CA, where they became active in the Community Baptist Church.

Erling died in February 1985. Rose lived independently until she moved to Garden Grove in 2003 for assisted living and subsequent nursing care.

Rose traveled extensively with her husband, visiting most states as well as Erling’s Norwegian homeland on three trips. She traveled with her son Allan and his wife to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and her siblings Ethel, Judith, Herbert, Russell and Sidney Westman, Cecelia Engelbrektson, and Grace Silverberg. Surviving are sons Allan Tungseth, Garden Grove, CA, and John Tungseth, Orlando, FL; daughters Alice Peterson, Spring Valley, CA, and Esther McAfee, Vero Beach, FL; 13 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.

An interment service and burial was held at Inglewood Park Cemetery on Thursday, May 10. A memorial service was held at the Fallbrook Community Baptist Church on Friday, May 11.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the North Park Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.