Grace Evangeline Reyerson Dahlby

On Friday, Dec. 27, 2019 Grace Evangeline (Reyerson) Dahlby, 100, Lake Mills, was called to heaven to be reunited with her husband, Aaron. Funeral services were held Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Silver Lake Lutheran Church, Northwood, with Pastor Randy Baldwin officiating. Burial was held in Silver Lake Lutheran Cemetery.
Grace was born into this world Aug. 29, 1919 in the apartment behind the Silver Lake Store (now gone) rural Northwood, to the parents of Oliver and Laura (Loberg) Reyerson. Her father owned and operated the store at that time and later farmed nearby. Grace was baptized and confirmed at Silver Lake Lutheran Church. She was the second oldest of five children. She attended country grade school and Northwood High School.
On Dec. 19, 1937 she married Aaron Dahlby, who was farming near Joice at the time. She loved working with and riding horses growing up. Aaron shared the same passion as her for horses. Together they raised several colts, went trail riding and competed in horse shows. Their favorite breed of horse was the American Saddlebred.
They had three sons—Phillip, Lauritz and Edward—and lived on various farms near Lake Mills and Emmons. She loved helping Aaron in the fields driving tractors, trucks and other farm equipment as necessary. When they started dairy cattle, she could also be found in the barn morning and night helping with the milking chores. She enjoyed feeding the little calves milk from the small buckets. All of the over 30 cows and calves had names and they were treated as pets. She is most proud of the Simmental breed cattle that they raised. These cattle originated in Switzerland and could be either milked or raised for beef.
She also worked at the Deluxe Filter Factory for several years and one year at Universal Circuits, Lake Mills, where she was a quality control inspector at both places.
Grace was active in the Winnebago Lutheran Church, Salem Lutheran Church, Lake Mills, and Silver Lake Lutheran Church. She loved to sing in the choir and served as president and secretary for the Naomi Ladies Circle. She was also on the quilting committee for the ELCA.
She lived in the farmhouse near Silver Lake after Aaron passed away, because she said she was the happiest there, with so many memories and enjoyed the peace and quiet that living on a farm can bring. She enjoyed mowing her own lawn with her John Deere riding lawn mower until she was 95. In 2014, she moved into the assisted living facility at Mills Harbour, Lake Mills, where she had many old friends, a few relatives and made several new friends and continued making quilts, pillows and wall hangings as gifts for her children, grandchildren and the church.
She is survived by one son, Edward, and wife, Marilyn (Olson) Dahlby; daughters-in-law: Barb (Phillip) Dahlby and Marilee (Lauritz) Dahlby; seven grandchildren: Timothy Dahlby, Jaime Wickander, Staci Case, Sonia Dahlby, Candi Hawkins, Kelly Balog and Colleen Pratt; 12 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Grace was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Aaron, in 1999; son, Phillip, in 1998; son, Lauritz, in 2018; sister, June Nelson; and three brothers: Richard, Clifford and Ole Reyerson.