Robert L. Lien

Mr. Robert A. Lien, age 88, Clark formerly of Garden City died on Thursday evening in a Clark care center. Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 31, 2005 at 10:30 AM in the United Methodist Church at Garden City with the Reverend Warren Rhodes officiating. Burial will follow in the Garden City Cemetery. Music will be provided by Marvine Obermeier and Wendy Christman. Casketbearers will be Ronald Miller, Roy Grout, Steve, Wayne and Larry Headley, Wayne Fletcher, Harold Hlavacek and Norman Alexander. Visitation with the family present will be held on Sunday from 6-8 PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark. There will be a Masonic Rite service by the Concord Lodge #13 held at 8PM in the funeral chapel. Visitation will continue on Monday at the Church in Garden City after 9AM until service time. He was born in St. Paul, MN on May 16, 1917, the son of Alma Lien. He came to the Garden City area in 1933 and made his home with the Ole C. Nelson family. He attended Maydell #44 School and was a 1938 graduate of Garden City High School. On February 19, 1940 he was united in marriage to Eleanor Headley at Rock Rapids, IA. The couple lived and farmed in the Garden City area. To this union, two children were born, Patricia (Pat) and Richard (Rich). In 1943 they started farming on their own south of Garden City and in 1951 moved to a farm in Maydell Township, which had been homesteaded by the Miller Bros. In 1974 they purchased the farm. Eleanor died on May 9, 1986. On April 3, 1987 he was united in marriage to Lois (Nogelmeier) Dreher at Clark. The couple has lived in Clark since that time. He served for 20 years on the Clark County ASCS Committee, serving as chairman for seven years. Other civic involvement included being a township supervisor for some 16 years, director of the Codington-Clark Electric Coop for 22 years where he served as a director, secretary, treasurer, vice-president and president. He was a member of the Garden City Masonic Lodge for over 50 years and since its closing, joined the Concord Lodge #13 of Watertown. Bob has been a longtime member of the Garden City United Methodist Church where he served as chairman of the building committee when the new church was built in 1977 and also as a church trustee. The following is a quote on his retirement from the electric coop, it really fits Bobs service and dedication as we celebrate his life today: His knowledge and experience will be missed, but perhaps not nearly as much as his sense of humor. Even when times are bad, Bob has the enviable ability to maintain his sense of humor and to share a smile or laugh with his companions and all whom he loved and shared his life with Some of his favorite pastimes included fishing, hunting and traveling. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife Lois of Clark, a daughter Pat Luckhurst of Owego, NY, a son, Rich Lien and wife Brenda of Ft. Collins, CO, a step-daughter, Arlene Meester and husband Lyle of Omaha, NE, a step-son, Larry Dreher and wife Vickie of Clark, a sister Betty Elpers and husband Frank of Sun City, AZ, 6 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, 5 step-granddaughters and 4 step-great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death was his Mother, his first wife Eleanor, 2 daughters in infancy, a son-in-law, Orlyn Luckhurst, a grandson Todd Lien. Arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where email condolences can be sent to www.furnessfuneralhome.com