Lillian Ann Kochlin, 75, of Belle Plaine, formerly of Casa Grande, passed away on December 29 surrounded by her family. A Funeral service will be held at Immanuel Lutheran on Fish Lake on January 11th, 2022 starting at 11am. A visitation will take place prior to the service from 9-11am at Immanuel Lutheran on Fish Lake.
Born on October 12, 1946, to parents Rolland and L. Virginia Pickens, Lillian was the first of two children for the couple. The family had a small farm outside the town of Granada, MN, which is where Lil would spend her childhood raising chickens, geese, pigs, dairy cows and the occasional orphaned lamb. Lillian also enjoyed fishing and trapping with her sister. She developed a great interest and love for music during her childhood. Lillian played the piano for her local church until she went to college so she could share music with her community. She attended Granada High School where she was a very good student and was even voted into the National Honor Society as a Freshman. Lil graduated from high school in 1964.
When she was only 19, Lillian’s father Rolland tragically passed away. This experience helped form her into a strong and independent woman. After she graduated from high school, Lillian attended college to become a radiology technician. She graduated from The Lutheran Deaconess Home and Hospital in 1968. After graduating, Lillian married and started her own family in Prior Lake. She had two children; Darren and Jean whom she loved dearly. One thing that the family loved to do together was camping and fishing in either Northern MN or Wisconsin. The family also had a large garden that they maintained during the summer months. When they weren’t tending to plants, they were in the kitchen canning or preparing the food they had just grown. Lillian was always a mother first and made sure that her kids were taken care of and had what they needed. When she became a grandma, Lillian couldn’t help but spoil her grandchildren. She would bake them treats and drop what she was doing to spend time with them. She was a grandma to a T.
For work, Lillian worked as a radiology supervisor for Queen of Peace Hospital in New Prague. She worked there for 30 years and even met her second husband there. Mark was working at Queen of Peace at the same time when the two hit it off. The pair got married on September 12, 1997 and began their life together. The pair loved to travel around the United States playing golf and seeing the sights. They especially enjoyed spending time in Indianapolis during the racing season. When Lil and Mark moved to Arizona, Lillian began to work as a Mammography Supervisor for Banner Medical. She also worked as a trainer for GE Medical, educating and advocating for women’s health. Lillian became a member of the Casa Grande Area Elks Club. She loved that this club gave her the opportunity to help those that were in need. She served as the Exalted Ruler and volunteered many hours to the community.
Vibrant, loving, and strong; Lillian will be missed greatly by her Husband, Mark; Children, Darren and Jean and their families; Grandchildren, Jacob, Paige, and Ashley (Trevor); Great grandson, Weston; Sister Jan (Lanny) Sheets, her Stepfamily, and many other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her Parents, Rolland and Ginny; Grandson, Nicholas.
