Lillian Nielsen

LILLIAN NIELSEN was born to Niels Chris and Gladys (Flyger) Andersen on March 15, 1926 in Elkton, South Dakota. When she was two years old, she moved with her family to Ruthton, Minnesota where she was raised and attended school. After her graduation from Ruthton High School in 1944, she helped her parents at their telephone company as a switchboard operator. On December 23, 1946, she was united in marriage to Ernest Nielsen at Hope Lutheran Church in Ruthton. Following their marriage, they lived on a farm two miles east of Ruthton. One year later, they moved to the Nielsen family farm which they owned and farmed for 21 years. During this time, she occasionally helped out at the telephone company; and she worked as a cook at the school while the kids were growing up. In 1971, they sold the farm and moved to Wentworth, South Dakota. In October, 1973, they moved to Pipestone, Minnesota where Lillian worked as a cook at Lange’s Caf. In 1976, they moved to Madison, South Dakota, and Lillian worked at the Village caf. In 1977, they moved to Salem, South Dakota where she worked at the Salem Nursing home. Then, in 1979, they moved to Flandreau, South Dakota where she worked at the Duncan Bakery. In 1982, they returned to Ruthton, and she worked as a cook at the Ruthton Senior Meal site until her retirement in 1990. Ernest preceded her in death on May 2, 2004. Following his death, she continued to live in Ruthton. On May 7, 2008, she entered Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she died on Sunday, August 14, 2011 at the age of 85 years, four months and 29 days.

Lillian was a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Pipestone where she worked on the new building, was a church deaconess, and a Sabbath School teacher. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Royal Neighbors of America. She liked to make quilts and crochet afghans. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, especially flowers, and watching the birds. She was an avid reader.

She is lovingly remembered by two children, Victor Nielsen and his wife Emily of Tyler, Minnesota, and Debra Revier of Russell, Minnesota; nine grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren and later that day of her passing her seventh great-grandchild was born; and four sisters, Agnes Fillaus of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Harriet Olson and her husband Bob of Madison, South Dakota, Bodell Andersen of Woodbury, Minnesota, and Arlene Pederson and her husband Wayne of Madison, South Dakota. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents and one brother, Harmon Andersen.