Hilda D. Ihlan

HILDA DORA WOOLSEY IHLAN was the 11th of 14 children born to Frank and Adelia (Jens) Petersen. She was born on October 27, 1914 on the farm in Rock County, MN. She was baptized and later confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick, MN on July 17, 1928. She received her education through the eighth grade at District 31, Springwater Township, Rock County. Following her schooling she began working in private homes on farms and in Luverne, MN.

On November 8, 1933 Hilda was united in marriage to Elmer Woolsey. She and Elmer lived in Jeffers, MN and Windom, MN until 1942, when they moved to a farm near Kenneth, Minnesota. Hilda and Elmer farmed in the area for the next 20 years. In the spring of 1962, they retired from farming and moved into Luverne. Upon retirement, Hilda went to work for J.C. Penney in town where she worked for seven years. She then took the opportunity to help start the company store in Sioux Falls, SD, where she then worked for another seventeen years. Elmer passed away on February 6, 1975. On November 18, 1990 Hilda married Norman Ihlan in Sioux Falls. On January 1, 1992 Norman passed away and Hilda moved to a house in Luverne. On January 14, 2013 Hilda passed away peacefully at the Sanford Luverne Hospital at the age of 98 years, 2 months, and 17 days. She was the last surviving child of the 14 Petersen children.

Hilda was a charter member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Luverne. She seemed to have more energy than most as she performed a lot of volunteer work and other activities. She volunteered at the Veterans Hospital in Sioux Falls (logging more than 1,000 hours of work). She said, “Volunteering at the Veterans Hospital made me feel that I helped those who could not help themselves.” She also volunteered for R.S.V.P. and served as clerk for District 50 County School. Hilda was a member of the Women’s V.F.W. Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary. Hilda loved to dance and play pinochle and 500. She enjoyed traveling and participated in the many bank bus trips over the years with her daughter Donna. She lived for her children and grandchildren and enjoyed the time spent with them.

Hilda will be lovingly remembered by her three daughters, Darlene (Douglas) McClure, Dorothy Goeske, and Donna (George) Scholten all of Luverne, Minnesota; two sons, Dale (Linda) Woolsey of Hilton Head, South Carolina and David (Melissa) Woolsey of Canyon City, Texas; seven grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren; and other family. She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Elmer Woolsey and Norman Ihlan; dearly beloved granddaughter, Darla McClure Johnson; son-in-law, Wendell Goeske; and her thirteen siblings.