Carl Melvin Sunram

Carl Melvin Sunram, age 57, a lifelong Ponsford Prairie resident, unexpectedly and tragically entered eternity on February 10, 2016 from injuries sustained in a snowmobile accident on Big Rush Lake in Round Lake Township northwest of Ponsford, MN. Carl was born on April 17, 1958 to Melvin and Alice (Schwartz) Sunram at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids, MN. His boyhood years were spent helping on his parent’s farm on the Ponsford Prairie. He attended elementary school in Osage and went on to Park Rapids to attend middle school and high school, graduating with the class of 1976. Following graduation, Carl pursued his love of the outdoors logging and driving logging trucks throughout northern MN. In 1980, Carl took over the operation of the family dairy farm for a number of years. Following selling his dairy cattle, Carl worked in his brother, Lee’s landscaping and construction business in the Twin Cities. He continued crop farming and later began working as a commercial truck driver, becoming an owner/operator and driving for many years for Magnum Trucking and Overbye Transports. On June 20, 1998, Carl’s life was blessed with his marriage to Kay Rader at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church of Snellman. Their lives together were made complete with the birth of their daughter, Cara Rose Eunice in 2003. Carl loved being out in God’s creation and enjoyed boating, motorcycling and snowmobiling with his daughter and wife. Carl especially looked forward to his annual pheasant hunting trips with his brothers and friends to Iowa. He also enjoyed spending the deer hunting season out in the woods with his daughter, Cara. Carl was a man of quiet faith who enjoyed attending Gethsemane Lutheran Church of Snellman. He was a long time member of the National Rifle Association. He was a loyal Case-IH tractor man and ever since a teenager had enjoyed trapping countless gophers. He also loved his faithful friend, a German Shorthair Pointer named Jaeger. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Kay and his daughter, Cara both at home in Ponsford; his mother, Alice of Ponsford; his five sisters: Joan (Dennis) Sunram of Coon Rapids, MN, Evonne Sunram of Mpls., Betsy (Lee) Saurdiff of Grygla, MN, Jane (Mark) Sunram of Frazee and Susan (Chuck) Tostenson of Perham; three brothers: Lee Sunram of Maple Grove, MN, Robert Sunram of Ponsford and Mark (Jodi) Sunram of Osage; as well as many precious nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Carl was preceded in death by his father, Melvin in 1980. Funeral services will be held 12 Noon on Monday, February 15, 2016 at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church of Snellman with Rev. Scott Muehlberg officiating. The active casket bearers will be his friends: Jon Swenson, Al Butler, Richard DeWandler, Mike Branstrom, Mark Branstrom, David Branstrom, Bennie Pickett and Leslie Hanson. The honorary casket bearers will be Lee Sunram, Robert Sunram, Mark Sunram, Lester Sunram, Lorenz Sunram, Glenn Sunram and Corman Larson. Interment will be made in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery northeast of Ponsford. Visitation will begin 11 AM Monday morning at the church. A luncheon will be served for all following the funeral at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Mt. Calvary Cemetery near Ponsford.