Lillian Iverson

Iverson Lillian, age 88, of Minneapolis, formerly of Glenwood, on Friday, December 21, 2001 at the Fairview University Medical Center, Riverside Campus. Funeral services were held 1 pm Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001 at Glenwood Lutheran Church in Glenwood, MN, Rev. Arthur Montgomery officiated. Burial at the Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. Lillian was born April 30, 1913 to Ole and Oline (Thorson) Finwall in Brooten, MN. In 1927, she was confirmed at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brooten. She graduated from Brooten High School, where she excelled in humorous declamatory and singing. After high school, she worked in Jack Dyring's Bakery in Brooten, where she collected recipes which she continued to use throughout her life, including the famous pumpkin pie still eaten by family members every Thanksgiving. On May 7, 1938, she married Milo Norris Iverson of Brooten at the West Lake Johanna Lutheran Church by Rev. G.G. Beito. Milo and Lillian left immediately after the reception that evening and drove through a spring snow shower to their new home in Minneapolis. In south Minneapolis, they lived and raised their family until retirement in 1975, when they moved with her sister, Laura Stucky, to a home which Lillian designed. It was built on property next door to her brother and sister-in-law, Leonard and Edna Finwall, near Lake Minnewaska in Glenwood. In Minneapolis, she and Milo were members of Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church, where she served on the altar guild. In Glenwood, she and Milo were active members of Glenwood Lutheran Church. She was a RSVP volunteer from 1977 to 1995. After Milo's death in 1985 and Laura Stucky's death in 1987, Lillian moved to a townhome at the Glenwood Retirement Village and enjoyed living alone for the first time. In 1995, she moved to Rosewood Estate in St. Paul to be closer to family. After an illness this past July, she resided at Lyngblomsten Care Center in St. Paul until November when she returned to her former home on 38th Avenue in Minneapolis to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Lynn Iverson and Brad Holmberg. Lillian was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was interested in homemaking, crafts, crosswords and reading of all kinds, and was guided and supported by her faith. Her endurance, resilience and inner strength were evident as she wrestled with and overcame the challenges and obstacles of her life. She will be fondly remembered and missed by her children, Lora & husband Dean Child of St. Paul, Timon & wife Sandy Iverson of St. Paul, Lynn Iverson & husband Brad Holmberg of Minneapolis; grandchildren, Susan Kangas, Kristen, Jeffrey and Rebecca Iverson; one brother-in-law, Richard & wife Monica Iverson of Minneapolis; sisters-in-law, Helen Philipsen and Ione Grundseth of Brooten, and Lillian & husband Robert Madsen of Belgrade; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Milo; eight brothers, Carl Knutson, Gustav Knutson, Ole Rudolph Knutson, Alban Knutson, Raynard Knutson, Helmer Knutson, Oddewar Finwall, Leonard Finwall and one sister, Laura Stucky.

Published on December 28, 2001