Lillian M. (Johnson) Moen age 85 of Northfield, MN formerly of North Mankato, MN and Lemmon, SD passed away at the Northfield Retirement Community on Thursday, September 27, 2012.

The Memorial Service for Lillian will be held at 1:00pm on Friday, October 19, 2012 at the Prince of Peace Chapel of Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon, SD.

Pastor Jerry Erickson will officiate with inurment in Greenhill Cemetery at Lemmon.

Lillian was born on the homestead in rural Sioux County North Dakota to Rudolph and Emma Johnson delivered by Dr. Totten. She was the youngest of 10 children. She was from the West River of Dakota. She grew up under the magnificent sky of the plains where people are few, the wind is frequent and the rain is always new.

She attended Knoke School, the township school built by her father, Rudolph Johnson. As a child, she was a reader of every book she could find. She attended high school in, Lemmon SD, where she would board and room. She continued her education at Dickinson State Teacher's College and was a rural school teacher for several years.


Lillian married Earl Moen November 3, 1951, in Baker Montana. The couple made their home on the Moen farm 20 miles north of Lemmon in Adams County, North Dakota. She was active in Ladies Aid, Prince of Peace Rural Lutheran Church, Beisigl School Board and Beisigl Township Election Judge.

After Earl died suddenly in 1973, Lill farmed for a short time and then moved to Lemmon. She raised four daughters, which were the pride of her life. She enjoyed visiting her extended family and friends and watching their children grow. Lill was a great cook who trusted her down-to earth sense of taste, not a recipe. Lill moved to North Mankato, MN in 1991. She loved being closer to her children in Minnesota and participating in the lives of her grandchildren. Messiah Lutheran became her church where she met many beloved friends and ministers. For several years she was a tutor to Adult Education and a Stephan Minister.

Lill moved to assisted living at the Northfield Retirement Community where she found new friends and an active Lutheran church.

Survivors include her daughters: April and husband Clark Johnson of North Mankato, Nola and husband Larry Knudsen of Northfield, Greta and husband Kevin Oak of Detroit Lakes, Christine and husband Tom Sonnek of North St. Paul; 6 grandchildren Ida and Alena Johnson, Samantha and Quillan Oak, Ruby and Jack Sonnek; 4 sisters-in-law; Eldora Johnson of Eagan, Ethel Johnson of Lemmon, SD, Dorothy Johnson of Morristown, SD, Ruby Johnson of Great Falls Montana; nieces, nephews and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her husband Earl; her sisters: Esther Rafteseth, Martha Anderson; and her brothers: Leonard, Elmer, Evert, Chester, Lester "Slim", Roy, and Raymond Johnson.

Memorials are preferred to: 2Seeds Network.