Earl Sunnarborg

Earl Sunnarborg, former industrial arts teacher at Hibbing High School, passed peacefully away on March 20, 2020.  Born on June 1, 1935 in Cloquet, MN, he was one of eight children.  His life-long curiosity and passion for learning propelled him from graduation at Cloquet High School to a bachelor’s in industrial education from UMD and through a Master’s degree from Bemidji State.  He delighted in gleaning knowledge and sharing encouragement with others to help them in their life’s purpose.  He was a gifted teacher, using multitudes of stories, object lessons and a good dose of humor and wit–-in and out of the classroom.

He spent one year teaching at LeTourneau University in Longview, TX, but invested 40+ years teaching Electricity, Electronics, and Machine Shop at the Hibbing High School. He also taught a myriad of other subjects in adult education programs at the Community College, the Vocational Technical School, Public Utilities, in the local mines, and at private industries.  

Earl was a man of integrity, and his life centered around his faith in God. He was an active member of the Hibbing Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, serving in many capacities from teacher to carpenter to handyman.  His “Sermons from Science,“ object lessons with a spiritual truth and a real-life application, and his one minute radio program, “Thought for the Day” impacted many in the larger community.

He was known for his generous acts of service, spending hundreds of hours using his ingenuity and creativity to design and build dozens of ONE OF A KIND special projects for family, friends, churches, and Big Sandy Bible Camp.  Along the way he built his own multi-purpose shop and his home including all its cabinets and most of its furniture. He had an innovative problem-solving ability to troubleshoot and fix things mechanical, electrical, and just about everything. He used his multi-faceted talents to serve God and to help others, bringing smiles and joy to many people.

In addition to spending many hours in the shop, he and his family enjoyed the beauty of nature, camping from coast to coast across the country, biking, boating, and canoeing. 

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Shirley, and children: Beverly (Earl) Rutledge; and Joshua (Jamie) Sunnarborg; 8 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; brother Tom (Yvonne); sisters Shirley Myrmel and Kathy Ahlgren; as well as many nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. He was preceded in death by his son, David, brothers Howard and Arnold, and sisters Dorothy and Verna.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.  Inurnment will be in the Hibbing Park “Maple Hill” Cemetery.

Family services are provided by Anderson-Daniels, a Bauman Family Funeral Home, in Hibbing.  To express condolences on-line please see:  www.baumanfuneralhome.com.