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- Lillian Wass
 Lillian Wass, 89, of Beresford, died Saturday, December 22, 2007 at the Scottsdale Health Care Center in Scottsdale, AZ. Funeral services were held December 30 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Beresford, with burial at the Beresford City Cemetery.- Lillian Marjorie Bondhus was born July 8, 1918 on a farm near Iona, MN to parents Arnt and Alice (Omberson) Bondhus. She received her primary education at Iona Public School and graduated from Slayton High School in 1936. She also attended Nettelton Business College in Sioux Falls and Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
- On May 21, 1939 she was married to Milton Wass at Slayton, MN. The couple made their home for a short time at Sioux City, IA and Beresford, and various naval stations until Milton’s discharge from the US Navy in 1946, when they moved to Centerville, where they established the Wass Funeral Home. They also operated funeral homes in Beresford and Alcester as well as the Wass Furniture Store in Beresford. Since their retirement in 1985 they have been residents of Beresford.
- Lillian was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Faith and was always active in her church, serving as president of the Scandia Ladies Aid, in Centerville. At the time of her death she was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Beresford. She also served as Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, and as president of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Centerville PTA, and the Centerville Garden Club. Lillian also held other offices in these and other organizations.
- Lillian was chosen to represent her state as Mrs. South Dakota in the Mrs. America Pageant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1958.
- Among the survivors who are grateful for sharing in her life are her husband of 68 years, Milton; her four daughters and their husbands, Patricia and Lyle Brend of Bismarck, ND, Sandra and James DeSaix of Beresford, Marjorie and Lynn Ellis of Rapid City, , and Kathleen and Craig Fransen of Jackson, MN; ten grandchildren, Clark Nelson and his wife Marci of Inver Grove Hts, MN, Christopher Nelson and his wife Robin of West Des Moines, IA, Darren Vik and his wife Lisa of Spooner, WI, Regina Larson and her husband Paul of Houston, TX, Clint Ellis and his wife Beth of Beresford, Daina Austin and her husband Tom of Omaha, NE, Kollin Ellis and his fiancé Jean Hughes of Sioux Falls, Micah Fransen of Chaska, MN, Bethany Fransen of Sioux Falls, and Hanna Fransen of Jackson, MN; four step-grandchildren, Maren DeSaix, and Hilary Bertch, Nathan Brend and Ashley Brend; and 12 great-grandchildren, Britta, Kelsey, Siri, Mia and Kara Nelson, Kirsten, Kayla and Tanner Vik, Cameron and Alana Larson, and Kaitlyn and Kendra Ellis; her sister Mildred Larson of Mesa, Arizona and sister-in-law Lillian Bondhus of Minneapolis, MN. She was preceded in death by her parents one brother Arnold and one brother-in-law James Larson.
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