Alice Lillemoen

Alice Ruth (Amb) Lillemoen, 101, of Hatton, ND passed away Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at Hatton Prairie Village in Hatton. A visitation open to the public will be held Sunday, November 29, 2020 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, rural Hatton, ND. A private funeral service will be held following the visitation. Due to COVID-19, all prevention mandates will be followed. The family understands if you would like to send your love and support from afar, and not attend the visitation in person. If you do choose to attend the visitation, social distancing and masks are mandatory.

Alice Ruth (Amb) Lillemoen was born on June 5, 1919, near Portland, ND, to Nicolai and Inga Maria (Stolan) Amb. Alice was baptized and confirmed at Bruflat Lutheran Church in Portland. She attended Viking Rural School and graduated from Portland High School in 1937. Alice went on to attend Mayville College and graduated with a Teacher’s Certificate Degree in 1939.

Alice married Arthur Lillemoen on April 7, 1946, at Bruflat Lutheran Church in Portland, ND. They lived at the Amb farm for about two years before moving to the Lillemoen farm east of Hatton, where they continued to live until retirement. Alice and Art were blessed with seven children: Irene, Ardyce, Glenda, Naomi, Christine, Arden and David. In 1996 they moved off he farm and into Hatton. After Art passed away in 1997, Alice continued to live in Hatton and moved into the Hatton Prairie Village Nursing Home in 2019.

Alice taught for 17 years in rural Traill and Grand Forks County one room schoolhouses. She loved the fact that some of her “students” would keep in touch with her through cards and visits for many, many years. Alice was a natural born teacher, and kept teaching her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren things her whole life. One of her favorite things to do was plan birthday parties for groups of her children or grandchildren. The birthday parties consisted of many games, readings, and even auction sales. She would hold the adult birthday party in the fall and use money raised from family auction items to donate to the Hatton Food Pantry. She was an avid volunteer of the Hatton Food Pantry as well as volunteering at Hatton Prairie Village, delivering senior meals around Hatton. Another job Alice enjoyed was cooking at Christy’s Café in Hatton. Visiting with the regular customers was a highlight of each day.

Alice was active in Bethany WECA, Circle, and church council for many years, and served on dozens of committees. Throughout this time, she was Bible study leader for almost 40 years. Her church life was very important to her.

Growing up, Alice enjoyed roller skating, ice skating, volleyball, dancing, visiting, card playing, the Moen Park, and making special trips to Minnesota to visit her relatives. Traveling was a passion that Alice carried with her throughout her life. She loved to take trips with her adult children and other friends. She visited many states either by car, plane, or bus. On long car trips, she would always have her lap pillow and a bottle of water.

Alice was an avid sports fan when it included watching and cheering for her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, in the many activities they were involved in. Whether it was playing or coaching, she cheered for them all.

Alice is survived by daughters: Ardyce (Ken) Johnson, Glenda (Darrell) Myron, Christine (Jim) Holweger; sons, Arden (Julie) Lillemoen and David (Tammy) Lillemoen; and son-in-law, Richard Gensrich. She is also survived by 26 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Alice was preceded in death by her parents, husband Arthur, daughters, Irene (Lillemoen) Gensrich and Naomi (Lillemoen) Pratt; brother and sister-in-law, Julius and Eleanor Amb, and one infant sister. She was also preceded in death by her Lillemoen in-laws.