'Rock hound'
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Kensington native, 90, continues to investigate the legendary Runestone
By Julie Parent
When asked what the secret is to a long life, Ralph Gunderson, replied, “I don’t really know.” However, it is clear being an active senior citizen with a passion for obtaining information about The Kensington Runestone is key to his longevity.
Ralph was born in the small town of Kensington, Minn. The 90-year-old described his childhood as normal. Growing up, he liked playing baseball in the summer and basketball in the winter. The indoor basketball court he used to play on has been turned into a vacation home. To earn money, he delivered newspapers and did seasonal work, like driving a tractor. Throughout his life, he fished for northern pike and walleyes. Now, he simply enjoys spending time with his extended family and playing cards.
In 1954, Ralph volunteered for the draft. He was a battalion communications contact for the United States Army in Fort Worth, Texas. He spent six months learning Morse code, which he still remembers. He would listen to messages and type them as quickly as he could using a typewriter. He also guarded B-36 bombers with great big propellers on the backs of the airplane’s wings. The thing Ralph liked the most about being in the Army was hanging out with his buddies. Ralph joined after the Korean War.
“When it’s peace time, it’s very easy to do your job” in the military, he said.
In 1956, Ralph married Georgene and they had three girls named Julie, Pam, and Lori. They lived in the Twin Cities area where Ralph worked as a director of purchasing, another job he did without a computer. During the summer, his family unit spent a lot of time at a cabin on Lake Ida in Douglas County. After 40 years, Ralph was tired of driving in heavy traffic. Desiring a quiet and peaceful life, he and his wife moved to his hometown of Kensington.
For many years, Ralph sold water bottles at the county fair to benefit a veteran’s council. He put the bottles in his mother’s wash tub, filled the tub with ice, and sold the bottles for one dollar.
In 2021, he and two other veterans were honored for their service when their photo appeared on a funeral home billboard next to a busy highway in Alexandria.
Unfortunately, Ralph had a stroke at his 70th class reunion. After greeting his classmates and eating, he fell off his chair and got taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Thankfully, the stroke did not cause any permanent paralysis. He said seeing people walking with a cane or walker, sitting in a wheelchair, or sleeping most of the day, is “my incentive to be active.” To stay strong and mobile, Ralph exercises daily by walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes.
He also delivers the mail one day per week to the residents at Vivie. He decided to become a volunteer there after he became acquainted with the staff who cared for his wife. Georgene, who sang with the local musical group Sweet Adeline’s, passed away in 2019. Ralph still misses her.
“I got used to having her around” he said.
Ralph prefers good-quality old products instead of new products. He still has a working clock that he winds every few days, a small old writing desk, and he remembers getting his first television set. His favorite possession is a Ford Model A car. He drives it every summer and his great-grandchildren love riding in it. It was the “best $55 I ever spent” he said.
What makes Ralph different from other nonagenarians are the countless hours he has spent divining and he would like to compile his findings in a book.
Ralph lives near Kensington Rune Stone Park. The Douglas County website says, “This 380-acre park has a wide array of offerings ranging from the historic Ohman farmyard and discovery site of the Rune Stone to the beautiful landscapes to enjoy year-round.”
According to a Dairy Star article written by Jerry Nelson, Olof Ohman’s son discovered a flat Greywacke rock with etchings weighing approximately 200 pounds when they were clearing their farmland in 1898. The etchings were “An ancient form of Viking writing. A date of 1362 was chiseled onto one side of the stone” which could mean that “The Vikings had visited the Midwest more than 100 years before Columbus set sail.” The rock named “The Kensington Runestone” is on display at the Runestone Museum in Alexandria. The museum also has other items from that period that have been unearthed.
Ralph has been fascinated by The Kensington Runestone for the past 15 years. He frequently wanders around the park with a witching rod. Witching rods are also known as dowsing rods. Historically, one of the reasons people used dowsing rods was to help them find water. Ralph made his own rod by bending it. Holding it in his hand, Ralph asks a yes or no question. If the rod moves in a certain direction, it means the answer to the question is yes. Through this practice, Ralph believes he has obtained specific details about a graveyard on the park grounds. He has recorded who was on the land, where their living quarters were, what they ate, and how and when they died. He also thinks a Viking ship was there. However, he cannot prove what the rod indicated because the Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist website says unauthorized excavation is against the law.
Interestingly, a film crew inquired about the Kensington Runestone in 2025. According to an article in the Grant County Herald written by Mike Mallow, they “visited Kensington, Alexandria, and the surrounding area.” He went on to write, “The show follows Johann Sigurdson and David Collette as they search for the truth about their Viking heritage.” In the article, Johann was quoted as saying, “We’ve found things that even we were shocked to find.”
Currently, it is not known when the Quest for the Lost Vikings episode about the Kensington Runestone will be available to view in the United States. But when it is released, Ralph will most likely be glued to the screen.
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