Stanwood is grieving the loss of "Pug" Lund who passed away Thursday morning July 8th. He was a pillar of the community well known for his love for Stanwood, his Norwegian heritage, his family and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Leonard Harold Lund was born on September 8th 1918 at the family homestead in Cedarhome to Sevald and Pernille Lund. Pug was the 6th child born in a family of 8 boys and 2 girls.

As a young boy, Pug loved the outdoors. He could always be found fishing Church Creek, picking wild blackberries, trapping muskrats and hunting squirrels and grouse.
Pug loved sports and helped lead the Lincoln Lynx to the 1937 County B League football championship. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1938 and landed his first job with Kvande Mill Co cutting railroad ties for Great Northern. He quickly worked his way up to head sawyer and spent many years working in the woods he loved.

On September 22nd 1945, Pug married the love of his life, Mary Jane Boe at Our Saviors Lutheran church. The newlyweds lived at Warm Beach for 16 months, moved to the Sauk Ranger station for 5 months and finally moved back to Stanwood in June 1947 and lived on the Norman Road for the next 63 years together.

Later he worked for the City of Stanwood and drove school bus for the Stanwood School District. He especially enjoyed driving the rooter bus and the varsity sports team bus. Pug was young at heart and lived for his children, grand-children and great-grand-children. He always made time to take them fishing, let them play the accordion with him, bring them blackberry sauce when they were sick, attend all their sporting events and loved to play cards and outdoor games.

Throughout Pug's adult life he positively influenced thousands of Stanwood children. He taught 6th grade Sunday school, helped start the Stanwood High School Booster Club, drove the ski bus, coached Little League baseball, served on a board to help give guidance to troubled teens and was always at the high school football and basketball games cheering on his beloved Spartans.

After retiring, he still found a way to bring joy into the local children's lives by starting Pug's Pumpkin Patch. Every spring he would plant an acre of pumpkins, and in October invite every kindergartner in Stanwood and Camano Island to his home to pick out their own special pumpkin from Pug. For over 20 years, school buses loaded with five and six year olds pulled into his driveway. Dressed in raincoats and boots, children exited the buses with large plastic bags and even larger smiles as they were greeted by Pug as he welcomed each child to his pumpkin patch.

Pug is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary Jane Lund: his three daughters; Sonja Austin (David Sr.), Beverly Klintworth (Bud), Karen Carlson (Terry): seven grandchildren; David Austin Jr. (Shannon), Steven Austin (Merrilee), Tracy Kummer (Danny Blanchard), Amy Fierke (Jason), Katie Kelley (Jason), Jaymi Lee (Matt), Michael Carlson (Signe), eleven great-grandchildren; his brother Raymond Lund (Aileen), and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Our Saviors Lutheran church in Stanwood at 11am on Monday July 19th. Memorials may be given to Our Saviors Lutheran church, Stanwood.

Arrangements under the direction of Gilbertson Funeral Home, Stanwood