Lillian “Gerry” Nypen

Lillian “Gerry” Nypen, age 89, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2021, at Eventide Skilled Nursing Care of Moorhead, MN.

A service of remembrance for “Gerry” will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, MN. Burial will be in Ambercrombie, ND following the service. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service on Thursday.

Lillian Germaine (Kneisel) Nypen was born March 10,1932, to Michael and Lillian (Insteness) Kneisel in Minot, ND. She graduated from Wolverton High School in Wolverton, MN and Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Lillian married Burton Nypen on June 9, 1956 in Wolverton. After college, she taught high school English and directed many plays before becoming a full-time homemaker. Burton and Gerry raised three children in Chokio, MN and Ortonville, MN.

Gerry was an active member of First English Lutheran Church in Ortonville, MN, where she taught Sunday School, participated in the Women’s Circle and the Scandinavian Food Fair. She also kept very busy in Study Club, 4-H and the Wednesday morning neighborhood coffee club.

Gerry loved to bake and entertain with all her homemade goodies. Anyone who stopped by the Nypen home, would always be greeted with a smile by Gerry and offered some of her homemade treats. She made the best brownies that could always be found in the garage freezer. Her other specialty was bread making. The family has fond memories of her bread cooling on the counter when they came home from school. The smell was so wonderful, and they looked forward to an afternoon snack.

Gerry also enjoyed working in the garden and planting flowers. She had beautiful geraniums, peonies, and iris. She loved “digging in the dirt” and enjoyed canning pickles and apple sauce.

After her husband died in 2015, she and her son, Mark moved to Fargo, ND where they both lived at Riverview Assisted Living.

Gerry is survived by her son, Mark of Fargo; daughter, Mary (Greg) Schoenbeck of Rochester; daughter, Kim (Brian) Melton of Moorhead and four grandchildren, Noah, Michael, Lauren, and Taylor.

Gerry was preceded in death by her husband, Burton Nypen, her parents and sister, Lois Claire Kneisel.

Memorials are preferred to First English Lutheran Church in Ortonville, MN or Eventide Senior Living Community in Moorhead, MN.