Wanda Sommerfeld

Wanda Sommerfeld died Sunday, May 31, 2026 at Johnson Memorial in Dawson at the age of 90.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Lac qui Parle Lutheran Church. Pastor Bryan Busch will officiate and interment will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Friday, from 5-7:00 PM at Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson with a prayer service at 6:30 PM. There will also be visitation at the church for one hour before the service.

Wanda Mae (Mork) Sommerfeld was born on April 16, 1936, to parents Oscar and Clara (Nordaune) Mork. She grew up on a farm near Boyd, Minnesota. Wanda was baptized and confirmed at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church of Baxter. She went to Country School District #68 through seventh grade and graduated in 1954 from Dawson High School. In 1956, she was united in marriage to Dennis Sommerfeld. Five children were born to their union. Wanda farmed in partnership with Dennis until they retired in 2006. A true farmer’s wife, Wanda worked up fields and hauled many loads of grain.

For the 1982-1983 school year, Wanda and Dennis hosted a foreign exchange student from Italy. They subsequently traveled to Italy to visit Cecilia, one of the many wonderful trips they enjoyed. Wanda always said the trip was her favorite because a gondolier sang Happy Birthday to her while cruising the canals of Venice. Wanda’s hobbies included flower and vegetable gardening, travel, sewing, and reading. She made the majority of her daughters’ school clothes, and all the pickles and sauces she canned were very much appreciated by her family. She was always active in Lac qui Parle Lutheran Church, serving in numerous roles and faithfully cooking turkeys and making her sought-after refrigerator pickles for the fall festival.

Wanda is survived by her husband of 70 years, Dennis Sommerfeld; 5 children: Janet Gray of Indianapolis, IN, Dale (Robin) Sommerfeld of Fort Worth, TX, Lori (Dick) Erickson of Dawson, MN, Dawn (Roger) Lende of Carrington, ND, and Darcy (Harry) Catlett of Dayton, MN; 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Joan (Jerry) Weber; 1 niece and 5 nephews.

Wanda was preceded in death by her parents: Oscar and Clara Mork; her siblings: infant twins and triplets and Merlyn Mork; Dennis’ parents: Ervin and Elsie Sommerfeld; his sister and brother-in-law, Bonieta and George Miller, his brother and sister-in-law, Duane and Hjordis Sommerfeld; and three grandchildren, Tina Halle, Kyle Erickson, and Irena Sommerfeld.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lac qui Parle Hope Network.