Lois Grindland

Lois C. Grindland, age 77, of Willmar, died unexpectedly, Tuesday, March 11, at her home.

Funeral services will be 1:00 P.M.. Wednesday, March 19, at Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar with Rev. Steven Knudson officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery in Willmar. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar.

Lois Constance Grindland was born September 23, 1930, in Moorhead, Minnesota, the youngest of nine children born to Rev. Joseph and Helga (Larsen) Johnshoy. She grew up in the Moorhead community graduating from Moorhead High School in 1948. She then attended Concordia College in Moorhead graduating in 1952 with a degree in music. As a student, she sang in the Concordia Choir and was the honored "Beautiful Savior Soloist". On August 25, 1953, she married Rev. Robert J. Grindland at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead. They lived in Tuttle, North Dakota, and later in Hazen, North Dakota, where Lois was a music teacher and directed the church choir. In 1967, they moved to the Twin Cities, where Lois obtained her master's degree in music education at the University of Minnesota and taught music in the St. Paul schools. They moved to Paynesville in 1974 and to Willmar in 1977. Lois was a member of Vinje Lutheran Church, the American Association of University Women, and Willmar Musicale. She enjoyed reading and was a member of several book clubs. She also enjoyed cooking and loved to share her extras with others. Music and sewing were two of her other passions. She was a supportive and loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister and helped to care for her husband while he suffered from Parkinson's disease. She appreciated life, relied on her faith and always maintained a positive outlook, even while struggling with her own health issues.

Lois is survived by a son, Joel Grindland of Minneapolis; three daughters, Carole "Jacobi" (and husband Richard) Gordon of Maui, Hawaii, Joy (and husband Rev. David) Peterson of Detroit Lakes and Nancy Grindland (and partner Eddie Berger) of Minneapolis and four grandchildren, Joshua, Daniel, Angela and Melody Peterson of Detroit Lakes. Also surviving are two brothers, Rev. Art (and Velma) Johnshoy and Rev. Ralph (and Lavonne) Johnshoy, both of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; three sisters, Dorothy Klyve of Mankato, Gladys Hovland of Fergus Falls and Ruth (and Rev. Harold) Aasland of Tucson, Arizona; two sisters-in-law, Naomi Johnshoy of Crookston and Lois Johnshoy of Fresno, California along with several other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 51 years, Rev. Robert Grindland; an infant daughter, Vicki and three brothers, Howard, Edward and Norman Johnshoy.