Lillian Davis

Lillian Manghild (Shodeen) Davis grew up in Upsala, MN and graduated from Upsala High School. After high school, she worked at St. Paul Book and Stationary until she moved to California after WWII where she worked in the office at Hotel Del Coronado. Soon she met Arles “Pug” Davis and, after a whirlwind courtship, they married in 1954 and moved to Anchorage, AK. After a time up there, Pug and Lil began their own real estate business where they were both brokers. After twenty years, they moved to California again, where Lil loved the warm and sunny weather, and was active in her local Palisades Presbyterian Church. Lil loved golf. She golfed regularly and made two “holes-in-one” when she was in her 80’s. Her beloved husband “Pug” passed away in 1979.
In 2011, Lil moved back to her home state of Minnesota and settled in at Grand Arbor in Alexandria. She enjoyed her 100th Birthday Party where she received birthday greetings from President Obama and enjoyed her 105th Birthday this past March when she received birthday greetings on a national television morning news program.
She enjoyed her new friends and activities at Grand Arbor but never forgot all her good friends in California and Alaska. She will be missed very much.
Lillian died on Sunday, June 18, 2017, at the Douglas County Hospital at the age of 105. She is preceded in death by her parents, Olaf and Anna Shodeen; husband, Arles “Pug” Davis; brothers, William, Vernon, Manfred, and Edwin; and sister, Elsie Helander. Lillian is survived by her nephews and nieces, Kent (Joan) Shodeen of Geneva, IL, Donna (Craig) O’Neill of Brodhead, WI, Beverley (James) Pearson of Hanover, MN, Roger (Deena) Shodeen of Oakdale, CA, Duane (Molly) Shodeen of Oakdale, MN, Larry (Christina) Shodeen of Upsala, MN, Susan Helander of Sequim, WA, and Vicki Hessel of Alexandria, MN, and step-daughters, Pamela (Tom) Collier of Purcellville, VA, Janice (Albert) Waddell of Homer, AK, and Carol Jones of Phoenix, AZ.
A visitation will be held from 1:00-2:00 PM with a memorial service at 2:00 PM on Friday, July 14, 2017, at Grand Arbor in Alexandria with Reverend Marilee Bergerson officiating. Interment will be held at Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego, CA.