Gundula "Gundi" Erna Risto (McClarin)

Our mother’s journey began on February 26, 1945, in the small town of Werther near Bielefeld, Germany. She was born to Wanda Pauline (Schulze) and Hans Risto during the closing year of World War II, a time marked by hardship and upheaval. In 1955, seeking a new beginning, her parents, now with four children, Gundula, Dieter “Dee”, Volker, and Hans J. “John”, immigrated to the United States, eventually making their home in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gundi graduated from Skyline High School in 1964. Not long after she met and married Affel Erekson (later divorced) and together they had six children, Richard Erekson, Brian Erekson, David Erekson, Sarah (Adam) Willardsen, Amy (Justin) Marcus, Robert (Candice) Erekson. When life called on her to raise her children as a single mother, she rose to the challenge, returning to school to become a Registered Nurse. Her nursing career spanned over 33 years and included services at Lake View Hospital in Bountiful, UT, Dixie Regional in St. George, UT, McKay-Dee in Ogden, UT, and as a traveling nurse in Reno, NV.

In 1982, Gundi’s love for the country brought her to Huntsville, Utah, where she was a resident for four decades. There, with her then-husband, Rodney Chidester (now deceased), she lovingly renovated an old farmhouse on the lake. Mom poured her heart into the land, tending to a vegetable garden, sprawling floral beds, and planted a forest of trees that still stand today.

Tragedy struck in 2014, when our family lost Katie and Taylor Marcus in a car accident, beloved children of Amy and Justin Marcus. In 2017, after the passing of her longtime partner, Roger Haven, our mom was diagnosed with Congestive Hearth Failure. Despite many hardships throughout her life, she remained resilient, enduring each challenge with grace and strength. We will always cherish our mother’s creative spirit. In her younger days, she was a gifted artist, painter, and poet. She had an eye for beauty-whether decorating her home, collecting antiques or finding treasures in thrift stores. Our mom was an explorer. She loved to travel and take road trips, regularly choosing the long way home or off the beaten path. Mom also had a love for slot machines and would frequent Mesquite or Wendover, NV, often accompanied by her children.

Gundi leaves behind her six children, numerous grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, her three brothers, and sisters-in-law, Debbie, Nicki, and Sue; two nephews, and her cats. We find comfort in knowing she is now reunited in heaven with her parents, the grandparents she never met, and her two grandchildren.

We want to thank A Plus Hospice and their incredible team, namely Carla, Shalee, and Jade, for the loving care our mom received. The many residents of Huntsville and our amazing sister Sarah for temporarily moving in with our mom to tend to her until the end.

Family and friends are welcome to join us for a celebration of life on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at 5 p.m. at Gundi’s Huntsville residence, 7409 East 400 South. This will be an outdoor event. Interment, Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd. Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary.