Sophie
Lohn, 85
Fosston
- Sophie Lohn, 85, died on Saturday, August 30,
2003 at First Care Hospital in Fosston.
Funeral
services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday,
September 4 at 
Hope
Lutheran Church in Fosston with the Rev. Paul
Magelssen officiating. Visitation will be held on
Wednesday, September 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. with a 7
p.m. prayer service at the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral
Home in Fosston. Visitation will continue for one
hour prior to services at the church on Thursday.
Interment will be held in Rosehill Cemetery in
Fosston.
Sophie
Bjella was born on August 3, 1918 in McIntosh, the
daughter of Levor Asle and Amelia (Erickson)
Bjella. She was a lifetime teacher and educator,
graduated from high school in 1935 and completed a
year of teacher training in 1936. She began
teaching at a country school near Fertile, where
she taught first through eighth grade for two
years. She then taught at Fleck School in Sletten
Township.
On
October 10, 1939 she was united in marriage to
Lewis Ernest "Cop" Lohn. In 1948, she returned to
teaching at Cloverdale School for six years. She
completed her degree in elementary education,
graduating summa cum laude from Bemidji State
University.
In
1954, she taught at Lengby School and in 1957, she
began teaching at Magelssen Elementary School,
where she remained until her retirement in 1988.
Sophie was a recipient of a national science and
mathematics award in 1967, and in 1968 she was
named teacher of the year. She spent her summers
pursuing her master's degree at Bemidji State
University.
Sophie
was an active worker in numerous organizations
including the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority, she sang
with the McDowell Club and Hope Choir, directed
children's choirs for the Hope Lutheran Church,
held various offices at the church including being
the first woman chairperson of Hope Congregation,
and she was active in the American Cancer Society
and the Republican Party.
Survivors
include her son, Lewis (Mary) of Gheen; daughter,
Jeanine (Larry) Suss of Lincolnwood, Ill.; seven
grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one sister,
Alice Ellingson of St. Cloud; one brother, Leon
(Mavis) Bjella of Fargo, N.D.; sisters-in-law, Opal
Bjella, Frances Armstrong and Diana "Deedie" Lohn
of Hutchinson and Louesa "Lollie" Vig of
Scottsdale, Ariz.; brothers-in-law, Ken Miner, Jim
Masterman and John Lohn; and several nieces,
nephews and cousins.
Sophie
was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis; three
brothers, Oscar, Albert and Kalmer (Florence);
three sisters, Anne (Sharol) Johnson, Laura
(Melvin) Higdem and Mabel Miner; sister-in-law,
Mary Lohn Masterman; brothers-in-law, Richard Lohn,
Robert Turnbull, Oliver Armstrong, Herman Ellingson
and Robert Vig; and a nephew.
A00003B2003SP03
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