Lillian May Lovlyn, 83

Lillian May Lovlyn was born Sept. 23, 1936, to Alden and Bessie (Dorrance) McAdams, in LaSalle, Ill. When she was 7 years old, Lillian moved in with her grandparents and grew up in Swea City, Iowa. She graduated in 1954 from Algona High School, in Iowa.

Following her education, she moved to Des Moines, where she was working as a secretary when she met the love of her life, Julian Lovlyn. They bonded during an episode of ice skating that resulted in Lil getting a concussion from a collision with a hockey player and Julian helping her recover with malted milk shakes.

The couple was united in marriage on May 3, 1956, at the Pilgrim’s Holiness Church in Des Moines. Their union was blessed with two sons, Tim and Kurt, and 63 years of marriage. The couple initially made their home in Iowa and in 1963, they moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where they raised their family. Lillian cared for the home and family and held various part-time secretarial jobs, which included work at an insurance agency and then at Music City, where she sold organs and pianos. She later worked for Kootenai Medical Center and retired after 26 years of service. Lillian had recently sustained a fall which led to hospital stay at Kootenai Medical and then she entered the care of Wellspring Meadows, where she died on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019, at the age of 83 years.

Lillian was a member of True North Nazarene Church in Hayden, Idaho. She was active in the church all her life, serving in education, secretarial, printing and music ministry. She developed and directed a traveling children’s choir, The Singing Deputies, and later was the district junior youth director, which encompassed 72 churches. She enjoyed snowmobiling, dirt biking, motorcycling and touring the country, snow skiing, waterskiing, tennis, softball and volleyball. She also initiated countless teens into waterskiing. All in all, Lillian enjoyed being a part of everyone’s life and especially enjoyed time spent with her family.

Lillian is lovingly remembered by her husband, Julian, of Coeur d’Alene; sons Tim (Molly) Lovlyn of Coeur d’Alene, Kurt (Kim) Lovlyn of Coeur d’Alene; eight grandchildren: Liz (and Erik) Mason, Katie O’Dowd, Kalyn (Josiah) Menzies, Kalissa (Brent) Smith, Keaton Lovlyn, Kensie (Quinn) Thorneycroft, Nick Lovlyn and Morgan Lovlyn; three great-grandchildren: Kyra, Zander and Xavier; a brother, Ken McAdams of Coeur d’Alene; brother-in-law, Ron (Juanita) Lovlyn of Coeur d’Alene; and a sister-in-law, Marita (Bill) Walker of Rathdrum, Idaho. Lillian is preceded in death by her parents and stepbrother, Arlan Banning. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Wellspring Meadows.

Blessed and eternal be the memory of Lillian May Lovlyn

A funeral service for Lillian will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, at Yates Funeral Home, 744 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene. Family and friends may gather one hour prior at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are provided by Yates Funeral Home. Online registry and condolences may be found at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.