Mark B. Gulbranson, age 67, of Spring Grove passed away on Sunday, May 26, 2024, at the Valley View Care Center in Houston, Minn.
Mark was born on February 22, 1957, the son of Harold and Lois (Koenig) Gulbranson in Spring Grove. He attended schools in Harmony, Mabel-Canton and Spring Grove High School. Following his education, Mark dove deep into all the things he loved. His intense interest in
nature led him south to plant thousands of trees at a young age. He returned to the area where he could be found hunting in wooded areas for plums, mushrooms and ginseng.
Mark restored classic cars, and had mustang collection. He was a mechanic, painter, carpenter and a true “jack of all trades.” His last project was the purchase and complete remodel of a home in Canton in 2014. During this project, Mark suffered a stroke and life was changed for Mark. He struggled to speak and move, yet never losing his faith and relationship with God. He was a very spiritual man who loved the word of God. Mark shared life with his many siblings and their families as well as his soulmate Cathy Blahnik, her children and grandchildren. They’ve traveled, enjoyed walks in the woods, road trips and the journey of life since 1995. Cathy’s grandchildren were very important to Mark and brought him great joy over the years.
Mark will be sadly missed by Cathy and her family as well as his siblings Wayne (Joanie) of Blaine, Minn., Dean of Rockford, Ill., Anna Jane (Roger) Womeldorf of Harmony, Gale (Renee) of Spring Grove, Robert of Caledonia, Harriet Duxbury of Rochester, John (Lisa) of La Crescent and Paul (Michelle) of Spring Grove, many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Sue on November 29, 2019; and nephew Jeffrey Tripp May 13,1989.
A celebration of Mark’s life will be held on Saturday, June 15 at 1 p.m. at 651 Enterprise Drive in Spring Grove. A private burial will be held prior to the celebration.