John Sundstrom

  John Elwood Sundstrom left this earth for his heavenly home on Jan. 20, 2021.
  John was born July 9, 1928, to John Fredrick and Edith May (Atkins) Sundstrom in Bellingham. He was raised on Ferndale’s “Swede Hill.” Upon graduating from Ferndale High School, John attended Western Washington College and after two years transferred to Washington State College where he received his bachelor’s degree in poultry husbandry in 1951. John joined the U.S. Army and served in the Counterintelligence Corps to 1953. After receiving his honorable discharge, John moved back to Washington and began his career with Western Farmers Association and held a variety of positions. in 1961 he moved his family to Lynden and stayed there the rest of his life. He was a member of Grace Baptist Church. In 1982 John began his second career as a real estate agent, retiring in 2000.
  John married Betty Lorraine Larkin in 1953 and they had two children, Richard John and Deanne K. Betty passed away in February 1967. John met Anna Enfield and they were married in December 1967. John embraced Anna’s five children David, Paul, Ellen, Mark and Mary. They enjoyed 25½ years of marriage to Anna’s passing in June 1993. John met Nora Wiebe while helping her with a real estate transaction. They married in August 1997 and John added her five children Larry, Joanne, Barbara, Patsy and Doug to his family. John and Nora enjoyed traveling during their retirement years, including cruises, bus tours and a multitude of road trips.
  He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Edith Sundstrom; first wife, Betty; second wife, Anna; and brother Marvin Sundstrom.
  John is survived by his wife, Nora; children Richard (Connie) Sundstrom, Deanne (Rodney) Morris and Mary (Craig) Engels; step-children David (Brita) Enfield, Paul (Mary) Enfield, Ellen (Keith) Bouma, Mark Enfield, Larry (Kathy) Wiebe, Joanne (John) Zylstra, Barbara (Brian Waller) Groen, Patsy (Brian) Markham and Doug (Twila) Wiebe; as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
  John was a man of integrity, committed to serving God, family, country and community. He was known for his gentle “dad” sense of humor, which usually included a wink and a smile.
  A graveside service was held Monday, Jan. 25, at Enterprise Cemetery of Ferndale. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.