Lorraine Inez Sundquist

Lorraine Inez Sundquist Obituary Lorraine Sundquist passed away Saturday, August 24, 2019 of colon cancer, surrounded by her family in Anguin, California. She was born in February 1926 on a farm in Griggs County, North Dakota in the log cabin that was built by her grandparents in 1861. Her parents were Ingvald and Laura Larson and she had two brothers, Lawrence (died in infancy) and Floyd K. Larson of McVille, North Dakota. She was confirmed in Norway Lutheran in Norwegian, a language she spoke and wrote fluently. She graduated from McVille High School in 1944 and went to the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks graduating with a degree in Art in 1948. She attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago and did free lance commercial art work for a year prior to graduation from the University of North Dakota. The fall of 1948, Lorraine married her sweetheart, Oscar E. Sundquist in Norway Lutheran Church, Aneta, North Dakota and they moved to Seattle Washington where Oscar attended the University of Washington in engineering. Lorraine used her artistic talents and worked at the Bon Marche in Seattle, designing and hand painting fine china to supplement their income. After the university they moved to Watsonville, CA where Oscar began work for PG&E at Moss Landing Power Plant and they began their family having two children, Debra and Mark. They also began their lifelong interest in building the homes they lived in, a total of four in all, building a new one in each place they lived. In Watsonville on Maher Rd. they built a garage apartment, in which they first lived while they built a larger home on the same property. Lorraine used her talent to draw up their house plans, and through the different builds, acquired many carpenter and electrician skills as well as how to wield a jackhammer. Over the years Lorraine was active in the Lutheran Church and served in many different positions. Using her artistic talents, when the Watsonville church built a new church building, she designed and did the work in stain glass for the alter railing. In Eastern Star she served as Worthy Matron for San Juan chapter and was involved in varied activities. Using her art talent, she designed many program covers and brochures for church, PTA, school events, Boy Scouts, and community groups. Oscar entered the nuclear program with PG&E which moved them to Eureka and then Arcata, CA in 1962 . On Jacoby Creek Road they built their third house and Lorraine went back to school to get her California teaching credential in Art. She received her teaching credential from Humboldt State in 1969 and taught Art at McKinnleyville High School in Northern California for 5 years. She and Oscar moved to San Luis Obispo, CA in the early 70’s as he was transferred to Diablo Canyon Nuclear power plant. They bought property on Indian Knob Rd. near Avila Beach where they built their last home together. With the kids out of the house and through college they were able to travel to Norway, Ireland, England, Sweden and other parts of Europe. Lorraine attended the Aalesand Professional School in Norway studying Rosemalling with the Masters and she painted and sold her Rosemald pieces for many years in the local community. She was an accomplished artist in oil painting and sold many paintings throughout the years. Oscar, her husband, died in 1991 so with family and friends she continued to travel and experience life, boating on the Amazon, cruise to Alaska, rafting on the Green River in Utah, running the border with Mexico, Chaco Canyon, traveling to Alaska to visit Mark and Anne and the family, swimming in the Great Barrier Reef and hang gliding in New Zealand to name a few. She was a wonderful Grandma and Bestemor, traveling to support her grandchildren in their sports and activities through the years. In San Luis Obispo she was active in the SLO Art Association, Sons of Norway, PEO, Republican Women’s Group, Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church and later St. John’s Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande. In the last two years Lorraine has lived in northern California to be near family and has enjoyed visits from children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in being so close. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband and both brothers, and sister-in-law Loraine Larson. She leaves behind her son Mark Sundquist (Anne), and daughter Debra Heimbach(Jim) grand children Dallas Sundquist(Ashley), J.P Sundquist, Mykalah De Sio (Chaize), Cody Baker (Matt) and great grand children, Espen Sundquist and Josey, Claire, Heidi, and Kari Baker. Services will be Saturday, October 5, 2019 in San Luis Obispo County California. The graveside service is at 10 am that day at Los Osos Valley Cemetery, Los Osos, California and the public is invited. The memorial service will be at 2 pm at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande, Ca. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to St John’s Lutheran Church, Arroyo Grande CA.

Lorraine Inez Sundquist

February 20, 1926 - August 24, 2019