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Rada Lund
06/22/1904 — 01/06/2009
From Richland, WA, US | Born in Logan, UT
Rada Lund
Rada Lund, age 104, passed away on January 6, 2009, at her home in Richland.
She was born June 22, 1904, in Logan, Utah, to Dr. and Mrs. George Taggart Parkinson. Rada lived with her maternal grandmother and grandfather during her early childhood while her father continued medical schooling back east. After her grandmother's passing, she went to live with her parents. She had five brothers and two sisters.
She attended college and taught High School English. She also taught dance and was a licensed beautician. During the war, she drove buses in Salt Lake City and packed parachutes. After she married Lee Wallace Lund in 1932, she lived in Manti, Utah, until Lee was hired at Dupont at Hanford.
She was blessed with her daughter, Micki, in 1945. When her daughter came home from school and read to her for the first time, she decided that she wanted to teach again. At 48, she went back to school and earned her elementary teaching degree. She then taught 1st grade for 17 years. She also loved to entertain and hosted many parties.
She helped take care of her daughter's five children, delighting in teaching them and mentoring them in music. She would take them to community concerts and encourage their musical talents. She also helped some of them learn to drive. Her grandchildren have countless wonderful memories.
She was very active in her church and held many positions. She led the singing and was in charge of all the music in her ward until she was over 100 years old.
She was such an amazing Mother, Grandmother Nan, Sister, and friend that it is nearly impossible to describe in words. Just to name a few, she was selfless even willing to share her most cherished See's Candy, supportive, the world's best listener, had the patience of Job, she loved to laugh and her laugh was infectious. Her zest for life and positive attitude was inspiring to all who knew her.
Rada is survived by her sister, Clare Martindale, of Pocatello, Idaho; her daughter and son-in-law, Micki and Doug Anderson, of Richland; and her five grandchildren including Tod Anderson and wife Jennifer of Seattle; Scott Anderson and wife Jenifer of Richland; Kristin Wren and husband Gorden of Pasco; Katie Sichler and husband Tom of Pasco; and Chris Anderson and wife Erin of Tacoma; and eight great grandchildren. Rada was preceded in death by her husband, five brothers, and one sister.
Services will be held on Saturday, January 10th, at 2 pm, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 1321 Jadwin in Richland. Visitation will be held on Friday, January 9th, at Einan's Funeral Home in Richland from 4 pm to 8 pm.
To Micki and Doug. Your mom was such an elegant lady. I know that it must be a sad time for you to lose your mom as you loved her so much, but also happy that she no longer has to suffer with a body in this life that does not let her do what she loved doing. Larry and my prayers are with you at this time.
Rada was an elegant lady. She embodied love, grace, humor, patience, intelligence and compassion. I have loved her for 56 years and cherish the memories. She introduced me to See’s candy and I will continue enjoying my own devotion to these sweet treats and think of her!
Rada will always have a special place in our hearts. She led the music for it seems like forever, and I was always happy when she asked me to sing in church. She was always a delight to visit. It has been such a long time since she has seen Lee, and as much she will miss and be missed by her family and many friends, she must be elated to be with him again. Our condolences to her family.
I remember visiting with Sis Lund when I was in Primary. She listened to me recite my articles of faith and the scriptures we learned with them. I know that my parents thought an awful lot of both Bro and Sis Lund because they named my youngest brother after Bro Lund. Michael Lee Olson. They were both very kind and Bro Lund was an excellent example of patriotism. He was always at the flag raising on the 4th of July. I have thought of them often on that holiday.
When our family moved here 24 years ago, Rada was one of the first to make us feel welcome and at home. She and Micki were my “special friends/visiting teachers” for many years and I have many cherished gifts they have shared with me both physical and spiritual. Rada lived what she believed and shared everything she had willingly.
I have missed seeing her smiling face up front each Sunday these past few years since she stopped directing the music for the Columbia Ward. Her spirit radiated to us all through her smile and the light in her eyes. Her unique and gentle way of stopping the music and sharing some delightful tidbit with the congregation is a treasured memory of the joy she shared through music and her special talent in sharing that joy with all of us.
Our family decided one year to anonymously share the 12 days of Christmas with this dear lady. We still do not know if she ever guessed who we were or caught us as we hurriedly ran behind bushes and around corners after ringing her doorbell, but the shear delight and enjoyment we gained as a family at that time will forever be special to us.
Rada has been a valiant role model for all of the young women and sisters in the Columbia Ward and Richland Stake. We all have heroes who inspire us to be the best we can be in this life and Rada is my hero.
May the Lord bless your family at this difficult time of separation from your dear mother, grandmother, and friend. May all of the cherished memories be a calming, joyful peace each day. Our prayers and thoughts are with you all.
Nan was a very special person, always had a smile on her face and encouraging words for all. I have many wonderful memories of her that I will cherrish.
She will be greatly missed.
Micki & Family,
My family and I were saddened to hear about the loss of your mother. She was a very wonderful lady. I know how dedicated each and everyone of you were to making the past several years for Rada as comfortable as possible. May you find comfort in knowing that Rada is at peace now and freed from earthly limitations. She will be missed by all that had the pleasure of knowing her. God bless and keep you and your family safe.
Dr. John C. Perry & Family
Whenever angels singing is mentioned, we all will probably visualize her out in front directing. Such a nice person to have known. Our prayers are with you.
Rada was a very nice lady and always had a smile on her face. She and my mom were teachers at Lewis and Clark School and she had very special relationship with all those kids that she taught. She always laughed with these little kids. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Rada was a very nice lady and always had a smile on her face. She and my mom were teachers at Lewis and Clark School and she had very special relationship with all those kids that she taught. She always laughed with the little kids. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
I had the honor of being Rada’s visiting teaching partner. I was always impressed with what a gracious person she was, always positive and upbeat, and I never heard her say anything negative about anyone, even if I thought they deserved it.
She loved to sing the praises of her beautiful grandchildren and her lovely daughter. I used to love it when, as the chorister, she would give a slight bow and a big smile in recognition to the congregation of having sung well, if we had done so. She was a grand lady.
Doug, Micki, and Family,
We are very sad to hear of Rada’s passing. She was indeed a great influence for good on many who lived in Richland and the Columbia Ward. The ward will not be the same without her and Lee as well. May her great legacy be a strength to you and us as we go on in life doing what the Savior taught, which she knew to be true.
Craig and Nancy Brown
Rada Lund was a remarkable and wonderful person. She shared so many talents with us over the years, but especially poignant and memorable for me was her very expert talent in music. I loved when she led the congregational singing at church in double-time, almost a lost art amongst the general populace now. If the congregation couldn’t keep up with her, well, then we must start again.
Rada was asked to speak one Mother’s Day in church several years ago. She told a sweet story of when she was a small girl and her mother or grandmother had arranged for her to sing “Oh, I Had Such a Pretty Dream, Mamma” for the congregation on Mother’s Day. She said she was placed on top of the grand piano dressed in a beautiful outfit and sang her little heart out. From the song are the words after the little girl awakes from her most pleasant dream, “She touched me and spoke, and I quickly awoke; and found there, dear mamma, ’twas you.” I have great hope Rada is reunited with many loved ones and I’m so thankful to have known her for a relatively short time at the end of her long life. God bless Micki and Doug and their family for all they have done these last years.
My prayers and thoughts are with you, Micki, and the whole family. Rada was a wonderful lady. We all loved her. Her smiling face was such a treat at our shows.
The Service was a nice tribute to Rada, her life and Family. She has enriched the lives of so many. I hope we all can carry on her love of Heritage and family. I am grateful for the “Daughters of Utah Pioneers” that brought us closer together. I enjoyed being able to visit Rada at her home.
Rada was always an example of a “Lady” may that memory and example always live on. Janet McKinnon
My Nan was the best Grandma in the world. When my sister and brothers and I talk about her, we can’t remember one bad thing. She loved us so unconditionally and so completely and we loved her back the same way. She always lived right next door and was our greatest cheerleader in all we did. I’ll never be able to visit my parents without wishing she was next door to smile and laugh with.
Today I have my daughter, Emillie Rada’s, 6 month check up and it’s bittersweet for me. After all her previous doctor visits, I would stop by my Nan’s and tell her Emillie’s height and weight and progress and she would laugh and tell me “she’s a doll baby.” I am saddened that my little girl will not get the pleasure of knowing my beautiful Nan as I’m sure she would have loved her just as much as I, if not more.
I can remember countless times Nan would ask me why she couldn’t just get up and walk and I would jokingly tell her she was old. She scoffed at that. Age was never an obstacle for her ~ she just wouldn’t allow it to be. I spent years trying to pay her back for all she did for me when I was growing up ~ the everlasting support, the yummy food she cooked me, the times I got to sleep over at her house, the long chats we would have about life, the endless laughter. Oh, how I miss that laugh. I had the pleasure of shopping for her when she couldn’t do it any more, and helping her get ready for bed many, many nights something I will treasure for the remainder of my life which included helping put her Pond’s cold cream on her face. That smell of the Pond’s will always be a favorite for me.
She truly embraced life and I pray I can follow in her footsteps and live with the same optimism and wonder. Many times a Dr. or hospital nurse would say her life would end soon and we would all laugh because we knew they were wrong.
I will forever miss the way her eyes would light up when we came around and the incredible way she had of just making me feel completely loved. She was one of a kind and I will miss her even when God willing I become a Grandma.
I am so grateful to the Lord for the hope that He has given me because He has defeated death. My Nan loved Jesus as her Lord and Savior and I know that she is with Him now. I keep praying and asking Him to hold her hand since I can’t right now. What a wonderful and comforting thought! Praise be to Him for blessing our lives with her and using her to teach me that time is the most valuable thing we can share with our loved ones. She was my confidant, my best-friend, my hero, one of my greatest blessings, my Nan. I’ll be thanking the Lord for her as long as I live.
My memories of Sister Lund always bring a smile. She was so diligent about leading the music in 2nd Ward Sunday School and having us sing the hymns correctly. She had her little white baton which she would use to get our attention ~ then would proceed to help us “do better”. She was a fine example of a Great Lady.
We will definately miss this sweet lady. We’ve lived in this ward now since before it desgniated. Helped build the Jadwin Bldg. etc. Infact worked with Lee on the building oft times. Lee was my first home teaching partner and he taught me well as a youth and I have always apprecieated both he and the sweet little agel he married. Jane has always been close to Rada in many ways and I know she also misses her.
Dick & Jane Lohdefinck
Guestbook for
Rada Lund