Lila Lalim, 95 of Tioga, ND passed away on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, surrounded by her family in Tucson, AZ.

Lila Marian Lalim went home to be with her Lord and Savior on 13 September 2023, peacefully, in the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Terri and Pat O'Leary, in Tucson, Arizona. She was 95, and while her 95th year was not without its health challenges, she had many things to enjoy and celebrate. She celebrated her 95th birthday in grand style in January 2023 in Tucson with many of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and close friends in attendance. That particular celebration included her dancing with her grandson Brennen Lalim to the music of “The Tennessee Waltz”, one of her favorite songs!

Lila was born in Sanish, a little town in Mountrail County, North Dakota, on 19 January 1928. Her parents were Bjarne E. Hove, born in Norway in 1901, and Martha C. Colton, born in northwestern North Dakota in 1903. She grew up in the years of the Great Depression of the 30s and the World War II years of the early 40s. She attended high school in Tioga, North Dakota, and after she graduated, she taught school for a short time in the early 40s.

Lila met Lester E. Lalim while she was in high school. He was two years older than she, and after he returned home from the war and the Pacific Arena, they were married on 30 November 1946 at the Thrond Lalim farm, north of Tioga. Their marriage was blessed with six children, three daughters and three sons—Cathy (Kent Johnson) of Centennial, Colorado; Sheila of Tioga; Dallas (Valarie Herfindahl) of Tioga; Gordon of Tioga; Terri (Pat O’Leary) of Tucson, Arizona; and Lance (Michelle Rasmussen) of Fargo, North Dakota. To these six children, ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren were welcomed. Lila and Lester were married for 65 years until Lester passed away on 1 April 2012. For the first 22 years of their married life, Lila and Lester lived in Tioga although Lester farmed north of Tioga. In 1968, they bought a small farm north of the Thrond Lalim farm.

Lila was a wife, mother, and homemaker but found time and energy to be very active in her church and the Tioga Community. Her church was the Zion Lutheran Church, now the Zion Free Lutheran Church, and Lila was a long-time member of the Zion Ladies Aid, the Zion Choir, the Zion Bible Study. She also served as a deaconess and on the Building Committee, participating in the planning, designing, and fundraising for the new Zion church.

And, she sang!! She was a Hove and the Hove’s were and are a very musically blessed family. Lila had a beautiful soprano voice. Besides singing in the church choir, she was frequently asked to sing solos at weddings, anniversary celebrations, and funerals. Arlene Iverson, Glorys Haakenson, and Lila formed the Zion Trio and sang at many events at churches and in the surrounding communities. In the early years after the war, Tioga held a talent show and the Zion Trio sang as the Maguire Sisters! The Zion Trio also cut a record album. Songs from this record album will be the Prelude at her funeral.

In the early years after the war, the American Legion played an active role in the Tioga Community and Lila was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary. She participated on several community committees over the years, including the Magic Paintbrush Committee that focused on the beautification of the Tioga downtown by painting murals on some of the buildings.

Lila enjoyed sports very much and attended all of the games in which her Tioga-based grandchildren participated. In her later years when she returned to her farm near Tioga, she was able to attend the games of her great grandsons in person, otherwise, as a modern great grandma, she could view the games via live streaming—enjoying the magic of technology. Her favorite sport was baseball; the New York Yankees were her favorite team; and Derek Jeter was her favorite player. Sports were always on the TV at home in Tucson and Pat and Lila typically picked different teams so the banter was animated and lively during the games. An avid reader, she was a serious student of the Bible, and she also enjoyed reading historical romances and contemporary novels, sometimes long into the night. More recently in her quiet time, she became quite the painter, finding painting to be a wonderful way of expressing her creativity.

Of Norwegian ancestry, Lila and Lester enjoyed the visits of relatives from Norway from both sides of the family—Lalim and Hove. Keeping the Norwegian traditions alive was important and lutefisk and lefsa were served on Christmas Eve in the Lalim household. Lila was a woman of strong faith, beloved by her family, who will be sorely missed by all who knew her and loved her.

Lila was preceded in death by her husband Lester; her parents, Bjarne who passed away in 1979 and Martha in 2000; and her two brothers, Bjarne Myron when he was just a toddler and Vernon in 2006.

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