Betty Gloria Lundegaard

• 
• 

Lundegaard, Betty Gloria longtime nurse and horse lover, died Thursday at Jones-Harrison nursing home surrounded by her loving family. She was 89. Betty was born on a farm in Carroll County, Md, where she was raised with her brother and cousins. After finishing nursing school, she moved to Minneapolis, where she married Bob Lundegaard in 1960 and had three children. Her early years in Minneapolis were spent entertaining, playing tennis and volleyball, and carting her kids and their friends around in a Volkswagen bug. She and Bob divorced in 1975 and she returned to Maryland and worked in the operating room at University of Maryland hospital. After her youngest graduated high school, she moved to Falling Waters, WV, where she continued nursing in Frederick, Md., and began raising and riding reining horses, winning numerous medals. She loved horses more than she loved most people, but she liked people enough that she coveted the middle seat on an airplane. She returned to Minnesota in 2013 to be closer to family. She doted on her children and grandchildren, constantly shopping for them at sales and at Dansk stores. She loved family crab feasts, the Kentucky Derby, oysters, Rehoboth Beach, Secretariat, summer tomatoes, and listening to her grandchildren sing. She had an infectious smile, and, to quote family friend and poet John Berryman, "very pretty legs." In September 2016, she suffered a major stroke and spent her remaining years at Jones-Harrison Residence. She lost the ability to speak but still managed to endear herself with her contagious spirit and by lighting up whenever someone she loved walked into the room. The family would like to thank the incredible staff at Jones-Harrison, particularly Dawn Stewart, who forged a wonderful bond with Betty. She is survived by her children, Christian Lundegaard of Richfield, Erik Lundegaard (Patricia Bradbury) of Seattle and Karen Lundegaard (Eric Muschler) of Minneapolis; and grandchildren Casey Riebe, and Jordan and Ryan Muschler. Service at Lakewood Chapel on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at noon at 3600 Hennepin Ave in Minneapolis. Interment to follow. Memorials may be sent to Jones-Harrison Residence, 3700 Cedar Lake Ave., Mpls 55416 or the Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition, PO Box 6521, 3033 27th Ave. S., Mpls. 55406

Published on August 12, 2019