Christine L. Gulbranson

Memorial service for Christine Lynne Gulbranson, 55, of Sparta, will be Thursday, November 3rd, 11:00am at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Virginia with Rev. Robert Simensen officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be in the Gilbert Cemetery. Arrangements by Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert. Christine died Thursday, October 27, 2011 in Ft. Myers, FL. She was born September 18, 1956 in Virginia, MN to Rueben and Glady (Paurus) Aho. Christine was a 1974 graduate of Babbitt High School and in January 1975 married Roger Kruckenberg in Virginia, MN. She worked as a bookkeeper for nearly 25 years at Ken Waschke Auto Plaza in Virginia. She retired from there in 2006. On December 2, 2005 she married Lonnie Gulbranson in Virginia. They especially enjoyed traveling to Ft. Myers, entertaining family and friends, and sauna time. Christine was a member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Virginia, was an Elder Services Volunteer and was an active league volleyball player in Virginia for many years. She enjoyed flower gardening, shopping, and spending time with her family and her dog, Sadie. Christine was a loving mother and grandmother who had a special bond with children, always being funny and making them laugh. Christine was good at giving compliments and recognized everyone's special gift. She made a person feel special, was generous, kind, and giving. Survivors include her husband, Lonnie of Sparta; children, Nicole (Christopher) Erickson of Big Lake and Travis (Hilary) Kruckenberg of Elk River; grandchildren, Carter and Chase Erickson; mother, Gladys Aho of Brainerd; sisters, Pam (Gary) Scott of Apple Valley, Cindy (Tony) Stepan of Killeen, TX and Vicki (Brett) Thomas of Baxter; several nieces and nephews; mother-in-law, Verna Ranta; step-children, Shawn Gulbranson of Eveleth and Kirsten Roen of Idaho; step-grandchildren, Ellie and Branden Gulbranson. She is preceded in death by her father, Rueben and a sister, Kathy Sever.