Jeanette Lillehoj

Service

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2019, 10:30 AM

IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH, KIMBALLTON, IOWA

Officiating

REVEREND SAM JACOBS

Congregational Hymns

“HOW GREAT THOU ART”     “OUR FATHER HAS LIGHT IN HIS WINDOW”    

“ABIDE WITH ME”     “Hymn Of Committal”         MARCIA NELSON, ORGANIST

Interment

IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CEMETERY, KIMBALLTON, IOWA

Casket Bearers

WILLIAM TRETTIN     DAVID TRETTIN     BENJAMIN TRETTIN     JOHN TRETTIN

JAMES TRETTIN     PETER LILLEHOJ     PETER PASQUALINI

Honorary Casket Bearers

THOMAS TRETTIN     SYLVIA OH     EVA PASQUALINI

Memorial donations will be directed to Immanuel Lutheran Church and the Museum of Danish America

Jeanette Monica, daughter of Henning and Martha (Jensen) Rasmussen, was born October 25, 1929, at Kimballton, Iowa. She graduated from Elk Horn High School. She then attended Iowa State University and Bradley University, earning her Masters in Education.
  On October 24, 1948, Jeanette was united in marriage with Eivind Bjorn Lillehoj at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Four children were born to this union, Catherine, Erik, Elizabeth and Christine. Jeanette and Eivind originally lived on the family farm in Kimballton. Later, while Eivind attended Grand View College in Des Moines, Jeanette and the children remained in Kimballton. When Eivind transferred to Iowa State University, the family joined him in Ames. Eivind continued his education and worked primarily in food safety research. Jeanette was an English teacher and taught public school at Calvin Coolidge Elementary School in Peoria, Illinois, and parochial school at St. Anthony's of Padua School in New Orleans, Louisiana. The family lived in Ames; Copenhagen, Denmark; Peoria, and New Orleans. Upon their retirement in 1989, Jeanette and Eivind moved back to their hometown of Kimballton. Jeanette told many people that she lived in Kimballton for 30 years, was away from Kimballton for 30 years and then returned to Kimballton for 30 years.
   Jeanette was a devoted member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton and was active with the Women’s group. She was very proud of her Danish heritage and volunteered with the Elk Horn Historical Society and Genealogical Center, and at the Museum of Danish America, both in Elk Horn. Jeanette loved Kimballton and her home. She enjoyed gardening and was a wonderful grandmother and great-grandmother.
   On Monday, December 23, 2019, Jeanette passed away unexpectedly, yet peacefully, at her daughter’s home in Des Moines, Iowa. She was 90 years of age.
   Preceding Jeanette in death were her parents; husband Eivind; father-in-law Peter and mother-in-law Johanne Lillehoj; and brothers-in-law Jerome (Pete) Testroet and John Westwick
   She is survived by four children: Catherine Lillehoj and husband Carl Salmons of Des Moines; Erik Lillehoj and wife Hyun of West Friendship, Maryland; Elizabeth Lillehoj and husband Joe Esposito of Santa Fe, NM; and Christine and husband Mike Trettin of Newton; 10 grandchildren: Eva Pasqualini, Elena Goldberg, Peter Lillehoj, Sylvia Oh, Thomas Trettin, William Trettin, David Trettin, Benjamin Trettin, John Trettin and James Trettin; eight great-grandchildren: Peter, Gavin, Natalia, Olivia, Johanna, Charlotte, Victoria and Charlotte; four siblings: Barbara and husband Bill Bjorn of Creston; Clark Rasmussen and wife Joanne of West Des Moines; Carol Westwick of Indianapolis, Indiana; and Laura Testroet of The Villages, Florida; cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.