Cleo Gustafson Stenseth

Cleo M. Gustafson Stenseth, 93, Grand Forks, ND, died Tuesday, January 31, 2017.  Cleo Marie Sorbo was born at Crosby, ND on April 7, 1923 to Axel and Clara Sorbo. She moved to Crary, ND for one year.  She graduated from Central High School in 1941 and from UND in 1945 and began teaching at Mentor High School.  There she met Lester Gustafson and they were married in 1948.  It was during their dating days they walked the isle of the old tabernacle at Warren Bible Camp and asked Jesus into their hearts.  Lester began a job at Northern State Bank and Cleo taught at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls.  It was the Thief River Falls Evangelical Free Church that did a wonderful job of discipling this couple to walk with the Lord.  Actually the church had a huge influence on Mark (1952) and Joan (1955) and how they grew up to love Jesus.  1965 was a miracle year in Cleo’s life.  God healed her from ovarian cancer.  The year 1969 brought tremendous change to the Gustafson family.  Les and Cleo purchased a furniture store in Brainerd.  They lived in Brainerd until 1980 when they moved to Grand Forks.  Lester unexpectedly passed away in 1990.  Cleo lived a pretty lonely life in those first few years.  She was a young widow at 67 years old.  A renewed relationship started in in 1998.  The first boy she kissed at Crary Junior High came to Grand Forks and courted her.  Cleo did some missionary dating and after Duane asked Jesus into his heart they were married in 1999.  Duane went to be with Jesus in 2002.  The loneliness started again but this time the support was fantastic.  Frequent health issues brought her to Tufte Manor in 2013. Cleo continued to struggle with her health, but the joy of the Lord was her strength. She was preceded in death by husbands, Lester and Duane;  a grandson, Ryan Bahr; sister,  Janice Monson;  brother, Curtis Sorbo.  Cleo is survived by  a son, Mark (Vicki) Gustafson; daughter, Joan (Gary) Bahr;  grandchildren, Lezlie, Ted, and Beth Gustafson, Jeremy Carmen, and Matthew Bahr;  great-grandchildren, Hayden, Eli, Willa, Odin Gustafson, Katie, Hosanna Schenck, Joseph, Julianna Bahr, Liam Aaker, Aaron, Cassidy, Ryan Bahr.  Duane’s children, Sunny (Jerry) Marker, Jim (Janet) Stenseth, Robin (Dennis) McCall, Brian (Cindy) Stenseth, Tim (Missy) Stenseth.   Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m with a 7 p.m.. Friday, February 3, 2017 in Amundson Funeral Home, 2975 S. 42nd St., Grand Forks.  Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, February 4, 2017 in Amundson Funeral Home.  Interment will be in Memorial Park North Cemetery, Grand Forks.