West River Country and Adams County has lost one of its earliest pioneers. Lillian Ida (Warbis) Ross passed away August 4, 2014 at the Good Samaritan Society in Mott, North Dakota. A funeral service of Remembrance will be held at 10:30 a.m. MDT, Saturday, August 9 at Centennial Chapel in Hettinger, North Dakota. The Rev. Ron Nelson will officiate and interment will follow in the Hettinger Cemetery.


Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Centennial Chapel , Hettinger, North Dakota on Friday, August 8, 2014.

Lillian Ida Warbis was born on July 21, 1908. Her parents, John C. and Anna Warbis trekked all the way across the state of South Dakota prairie, in a covered wagon from Milbank, South Dakota with their five children. Upon arriving at the Grand River south of White Butte, they staked their claim. It was here that Lillian was born. She was the sixth child and she completed their family. Not long after, they moved to Haynes, North Dakota and this is where Lillian spent her growing up years. She attended all twelve years of school in Haynes and graduated from Haynes High School in 1928.


Lillian was united in marriage to Ernest C. Ross on September 24, 1932. They made their home in rural Haynes and began their life together in a marriage that would last for 48 years. In 1942 they adopted their daughter, Sharon Lois. Soon after this, they moved into Haynes and they remained there until 1962. At this time they moved to Hettinger and resided there. Ernie passed away in 1980. Lillian continued to live in her home until she broke her hip at the age of 98. After that she resided in the nursing home.

Lillian was a very active in her community and she participated in many different organizations and clubs. She loved being social and she loved people. She was superintendent of the Haynes Sunday School for many years, and belonged to the Haynes Ladies Aid, Hettinger Lutheran Church Women, Women Alone, and she worked at the Hettinger Clothes Closet for many, many years. She was also a member of several bridge and whist clubs and she absolutely loved to play cards. There were many people who said that she was a really sharp card player. She continued playing cards well into her 90's. Lillian really loved little children and they also loved her. She was Grandma in Celie Buckmier's first grade class for many years. Lillian was also a poetess and she loved poetry. She could write poetry and recite any poem that you would ask her about. She recited poems for many club and organizations and she would also write poems for any organization that asked her and she did this for many years.


Lillian was a very gracious lady and she loved her home, her husband, and her daughter, and later, her three grandchildren. In her later years in Hettinger she loved her garden and her flowers. She also had a BFF (Best Friend Forever), Bunny Marion. They spent countless hours together and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. She was a very crafty person and could make "Something out of nothing." She was the quintessential homemaker and she loved to cook, (she was a wonderful cook and baker) and she loved to sew and crochet. She absolutely loved hosting and cooking. She always had some sort of a dessert made, in her home, in case someone "dropped in." She could also "whip up a meal" in record time as someone might stop by to visit unannounced. Everything was always homemade…never store bought. She had a strong determination about her – excerising right up to the time she entered the home. She loved visiting people – going to their homes, to the nursing home, etc. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren had a pet name for her. They all called her G.G.


Lillian is survived by her daughter, Sharon (John) Campbell of Hettinger and she is also survived by three grandchildren, Christal (Guy) Thompson, Pearland, Texas, Jon Bradley (Tammie) Campbell of Fertile, Minnesota, and Michelle (Dale) Wenzel, of West Fargo, North Dakota. She is also survived by six great-grandchildren, Patrick and Andrew Thompson, Lindsay and Hannah Campbell, and Elisa and Mia Wenzel, and nieces and nephews.

Lillian was preceded in death by her husband, Ernie, her parents, John and Anna Warbis, and her five siblings, Glen, Joe, Ivan (Pink), Lois, and Lyle (Buster).