Daniel Harrison Unke, 28, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, and a Crookston, Minnesota native, died very unexpectedly of natural causes at his residence Monday, January 11, 2010. Daniel was born in Crookston on May 8, 1981, and was the oldest of four children born to the union of Harold H. and Ramona Joy (Niemann) Unke. He was baptized and confirmed at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, and graduated in 1999 from Crookston High School. While in high school Daniel participated in band, choir, LEO Club, theater, and the Pirate swim team. He then attended the University of Minnesota-Crookston for a year. He went on to the Northland Community College in Thief River Falls to study nursing and later attended East Grand Community College in the School of Nursing there. During this time Daniel was also employed as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) at Crookston’s Villa St. Vincent. After working with Transystems for a year driving truck, he began employment in 2006 with KDN Trucking in Halstad, Minnesota as a semi-driver. In January of 2008 Daniel began working as a CNA for REM of East Grand Forks. In the spring of 2009 he additionally began working in the same capacity for SILS, also in East Grand Forks. Just this past December Daniel had given up his employment with REM, while remaining with SILS. Daniel was a lifelong member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and had been also participating in a men’s bible study group in East Grand Forks. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed camping, bicycling, and hunting. He would go ice fishing and summer fishing with his brother, Tim, and when it was too cold to be outdoors they would stay indoors and go Wii fishing, as they had done just last Thursday evening. He loved riding his motorcycle and had participated in several runs for charity, including one for the American Heart Association. Daniel was into music and anything to do with technology, including Geocaching, a form of high-tech treasure hunting using GPS. Daniel never let health problems get the best of him, and continued to maintain a full and active life. He loved his family dearly and missed his mother, Ramona, who died on September 12, 2008, very much.
Loving family members include Daniel’s father, Harold, of Crookston, MN; sisters, Johanna Christensen and her husband, Bryan, and Jennifer Unke, all of Bismarck; brother, Timothy Unke of Crookston; grandmother, Donna Niemann of St. Thomas, ND; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives. Daniel was preceded in death by his mother, Ramona; grandparents, Albert Niemann, and Harris and Helen Unke; and uncle, David Niemann. Blessed be Daniel’s memory.
The Celebration of Daniel’s life will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, January 16, 2010, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Crookston, with the Rev. Steve Bohler, officiating. Visitation will be at Our Savior’s on Friday from 5-7:00 pm, with a 7:00 pm prayer service, and also for one hour before the funeral. The Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home is assisting with funeral arrangements.
