Lois Graphenteen

LOIS GRAPHENTEEN was born to Alpheus and Ramona (Hanses) Beeney on August 10, 1932 in Lily, South Dakota. As a young girl, she moved with her family to Farmington, Minnesota. When she was 15 years old, she again moved with her family to California. One year later, they returned to Farmington where she completed her education, graduating from Farmington High School in 1950. At that time, she became employed as a telephone operator in Northfield, Minnesota. On July 7, 1951, she was united in marriage to Clarence Graphenteen at the parsonage in Trosky, Minnesota. Following their marriage, they lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming for six months before moving to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida while Clarence served in the U.S. Air Force. After his discharge from the service, they moved to Slayton, Minnesota. In 1960, they moved to Fairmont, Minnesota where Lois was employed at 3M and later as the cook at St. Paul Lutheran School. When they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1971, Lois began working at J.C. Penney’s. She later became employed as the cook at the Clark Jeary Retirement Center and later as a cook at the Lincoln Lutheran Junior High School. In 1979, they moved back to Fairmont; and in 1980, they returned to Farmington where Lois worked as a cook in the high school. When they moved to Fort Dodge, Iowa in 1981, Lois became employed at the local apple orchard. After Clarence retired in 1986, they moved to Trosky where they owned and operated the Trosky Corner Store and the Trosky Post Office until they sold the store in 1988. At that time, she loved her part-time job at Wendy’s Flowers in Edgerton, Minnesota. In August, 2014, Lois was diagnosed as having cancer. On August 30, 2014, she entered the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where she died surrounded by her family on Friday, September 5, 2014 at the age of 82 years and 25 days.

Lois was baptized on December 28, 1949 at the Methodist Church in Farmington, Minnesota, and confirmed in the Lutheran faith in 1950. She was currently a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Trosky, Minnesota where she was active in the Ladies Aid and the LWML. She loved her flower and vegetable gardens, and enjoyed sharing her flowers at their Sunday worship services. Lois liked to stay busy and she volunteered her time at the Good Samaritan Community in Pipestone, Minnesota as well as the Pipestone Food Shelf. She was a true servant and enjoyed giving of herself to others. She loved spending time with her children and her grandchildren. Throughout her life, she especially enjoyed cooking.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband of 63 years, Clarence Graphenteen; four children, Dennis and Sue Graphenteen of Slayton, Minnesota, Ronald and Leslie Graphenteen of Eagle, Nebraska, Debra and Doug Wolf of Grand Island, Nebraska, and Randy and Ellen Graphenteen of Mound, Minnesota; 11 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Alpheus “Bud” Beeney of Farmington, Minnesota. She is preceded in death by her parents; and four sisters, Rhena Benolkin, Murdice Bjerke, Bethel Grimes, and Ramona Danielson.

Memorials may be directed to St. John Lutheran Church in Trosky or the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls.