Camilla Graff, 81, Luverne, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, at the Sanford Luverne Hospital.
A funeral service was at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23, at the First Baptist Church in Luverne. Burial followed at Memory Gardens Cemetery near Luverne.
Camilla Vanderburg was born on Nov. 17, 1941, to Dorris and Henrietta (DeVries) Vanderburg in the Luverne Minnesota Hospital. She was baptized as an infant in the Luverne Christian Reformed Church. Camilla lived in Beaver Creek and graduated from Beaver Creek High School in 1959. She graduated from Sioux Falls College in 1964 with a double major in English and elementary education. Camilla taught primary grades in Christian schools in Denver, Washington, D.C. and Seattle for 20 years.
Camilla married Dave Gunderson in 1975 in Anchorage, Alaska. They were later divorced.
She received immersion baptism when she joined the Baptist Church in Seattle.
In 1984 Camilla worked as a nanny for three different families and then as a nurse’s aide for eight years before returning to Luverne in 1998 to stay with her mother. In all, she worked for 20 years as a nurse’s aide and retired from working at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne in 2007.
Camilla married Lyle Graff in 2012. At that time she inherited seven children, 22 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
Camilla enjoyed hiking, camping, backpacking, downhill and cross-country skiing, needle crafts and crocheting afghans, baby blankets, prayer shawls, doilies and much more. She liked gardening and shopping at thrift stores, Bible studies, and singing.
In her later years Camilla fought battles with breast cancer, lymphoma cancer, skin cancer and kidney cancer.
Camilla is survived by her brother Dennis (Carolyn), sister Nancy, brother James (Joann), and brother Keith (Lynda), along with many nephews, nieces, her companion, Leroy and friend Sue, and other family and friends.
Camilla was preceded in death by her parents; a sister-in-law, Carol Vanderburg; a nephew, Justin Vanderburg; and her second husband, Lyle Graff.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
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