KING, Lillian R.

KING, ARMSTRONG, PETERSEN, ORRELL, HEMPEL, SWANGER, FOLEY

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 12/23/2008 at 15:35:39

Cherokee Chronicle Times, Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Lillian R. King, 96, of Cherokee, died Tuesday Dec. 16, 2008 in the Cherokee Villa Nursing Home, following a brief illness.

Memorial services were held on Dec. 20 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee. Rev. Armand Bertrand officiated. Burial will be held at a later date in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cherokee.

Lillian was born on July 7, 1912 in Oto, the second of five children of William and Perle (Armstrong) Petersen. She graduated from Oto Schools in 1929, and on Feb. 17, 1931 married Ed King at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Anthon, Iowa.

The couple farmed near Anthon, Oto, Quimby, and Big Lake, Minn. for 33 years. In 1964, they retired from farming, then owned and operated the Cum Bac Café in Quimby for 10 years. Lillian then worked at the Cherokee Mental Health Institute for five years, before retiring to California from 1984-2005. She has been a resident of Cherokee since that time.

No matter where she lived, Lillian was very active in her church, community, and in the schools her children attended. She was also a wonderful seamstress, but was perhaps best known for her beautifully decorated cakes and caramel cinnamon rolls.

Lillian was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 1980; three brothers, Hubert, Lawrence (Doc), and Wayne; a sister, Maxine; two daughters, Rita in 1943 and Sandra in 1976; a daughter-in-law Elaine King in 1987 ; and sons-in-law Jimmy Orrell in 2004 and Gary Hempel in 2008.

She is survived by a son, Ed King of Monticello, Minn.; three daughters, Mary Perle King and Juanita Hempel, both of Cherokee and Karen Orrell of Riverside, Calif.; eight grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, nine great great-grandchildren; three sisters-in-law Lucille King, Velrene Swanger and Jerry Foley; one brother-in-law, Bill Foley; and many nieces and nephews.