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Lillian May Espeseth • 1921 - 2004 Lillian May Espeseth, 83, Minot, formerly of Denbigh and Granville, died Friday, December 24, 2004, in a Minot nursing home. Lillian was born May 27, 1921, on the family farm, near Denbigh, ND, the daughter of Olaf and Sena (Julson) Nelson. Lillian attended rural Denbigh elementary school and later Towner High School, where she graduated in 1940. She attended Minot State Teacher's College and graduated in 1943, earning her Teaching Certificate. Lillian taught for a number of years in rural McHenry County Schools. On July 28, 1946, Lillian married Myron Espeseth in the first wedding ceremony held at Norway Lutheran Church, rural Denbigh, ND. Following their marriage they made their home on the family homestead near Denbigh, where they raised their family, farmed and ranched. They retired from farming and in 2001 moved to Granville. They recently moved to Minot. Lillian and Myron were life-partners, and she was very active in their farming and ranching operation. She was a member of Norway Lutheran Church, rural Denbigh and was very active in the ALCW of the church. Lillian was one of many who were instrumental in getting Norway Lutheran Church placed on the National Register of Historical Places, which she was very proud of. She was later asked to serve as a citizen member of the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Review Board, which she did for a number of years. Lillian was active with the McHenry County Historical Society in Towner and she served as a 4-H leader for a number of years. Surviving family includes:Husband of 58 years, Myron of Minot;daughters,
Lila (Kim) Heskin, Norwich, and Sandra (Kerry) Bacon, Granville;daughter-in-law,
Mary Liz Davis, Velva; nine grandchildren, Tad Espeseth and his
friend, Missy Wald, Erik (Nikki) Espeseth, Bill Espeseth, Carsten
Espeseth, Seth (Tracy) Bacon, Amy (Bill) Thomas, Sara (Dylan)
Anderson, Kristy Heskin and Brian Heskin;six great-grandchildren,
Collin Espeseth, Kameron Anderson, Chase Bacon, Will, Michael
and Dylan Thomas;sisters, Elnora (Ben) Chugg, Mesa, AZ, Doris
Laderman, Laguna Beach, CA, Dorene (Norman) Lampercht, Redwood
City, CA; Selma Zaback, Bismarck, and Jeanette Herman, Towner; Lillian was preceded in death by her sons, Myles Espeseth,
and his infant twin brother; her parents, Olaf and Sena (Julson)
Nelson; sisters, Eveline Green and Alice Odland; brothers, Rollan,
Carl and Julian Nelson. Funeral: Thursday, December 30, 2004, at 11:00 a.m., at Zion Lutheran Church, Towner, ND. Visitation: Tuesday, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., and Wednesday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot. Burial: Norway Lutheran Cemetery, rural Denbigh, ND. Memorials are preferred to Norway Lutheran Church Trust, rural Denbigh, ND. Officiant: Lillian's nephew, Pastor Loren Odland Music: Sherie Heine, vocalist"Precious Lord, Take
My Hand" Active Bearers: Robert Green, Harry Nelson, Kevin Herman, Lynn Odland,Stanley Markusen Erling Markusen
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