Lilly Decker passed away of natural causes August 21, 2013 in Helena MT. She was born July 17, 1918 near Karlskoga, Sweden to Anders and Anna Jakobsson where she lived and attended grade school through the fifth grade. As a child she spent time exploring the woods near her home, picking wild strawberries and raspberries to bring home and enjoyed seeing the many wild flowers that grew there. Lily of the Valley was her most favorite flower. Along with a large garden plot for vegetables, her childhood home had a special flowerbed where they planted pansies, English daisies, and stock each spring.
Lilly started school in Karlskoga at the age of seven and attended school in Sweden until 1928. Lilly’s father was very ill. Knowing he would not live, and with the hope for a better life and education for their youngest daughter, they chose to allow Lilly to travel to the United States and live with her Uncle Carl and Aunt Jenny. In 1928, Lilly traveled with her older sister, Judith, to Gothenburg, Sweden where the two girls boarded a ship headed for New York, NY. Neither of them spoke English. Upon arriving in New York that June, they then boarded a train and headed across the entire country, bound for Seattle, WA.
Lilly was officially adopted by Jenny and Carl and became Lilly Johnson. She lived in Port Angeles, Washington and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1937 as salutatorian. After graduation, she lived and worked in Seattle for several years. When she visited her sister, Judy, in Black Eagle, a suburb of Great Falls, MT she met her husband, Bill Decker, a U.S. Air Force pilot. The couple was married September 16, 1950. They made their home in Great Falls until Bill was transferred with the Air Force to Hawaii where they lived for several years. While living in Great Falls, Lilly worked for the Great Falls Clinic and the Anaconda Mining Company.
During her time in Hawaii, she would occasionally go fishing. On one such occasion, she caught a large fish and fought to reel it in for five hours. She had caught a marlin estimated at 500 pounds. Unfortunately, the fish was not properly hooked – the line was wrapped around its bill so it could never have been landed. That one got away. Lilly continued to fish and once took third prize in a Hawaiian fishing tournament.
Bill’s career took them to the Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware. While there, Lilly pursued a job at a local brokerage office, becoming a licensed stockbroker at Laird Bessel and Mead. After 20 years of service, Bill retired and they returned to Montana. They moved to Helena where they bought a home built by Senator Walsh in 1905. Lilly particularly enjoyed the gardens and the stained glass windows of the historic home. In Helena, Lilly worked for D.A. Davidson, becoming the first woman stockbroker in the state of Montana. Lilly retired from D.A. Davidson’s in 1975, after 15 years of service.
They moved to Clancy, MT in 1974 into a home along Warm Springs Creek. The home, which they built themselves, was situated on a bank above the creek so they could watch the fish and enjoy the view of the meadow and forest across the way. Lilly and Bill surrounded the house with flower and vegetable gardens and filled the inside with plants. She got great pleasure from growing flowers, and feeding and watching the many birds around their home.
Shortly after Bill passed away in 2000, Lilly moved into her home at Touchmark in Helena. Here she continued to fill her apartment with flowers and plants and she kept bird feeders by her window to enjoy the wildlife too.
Lilly was an active member of the Soroptimist Club throughout her life and in 2012, she was honored with an award for 50 years of service. She was also a member of the Navy League for many years.
Lilly was preceded in death by her husband Bill Decker, and siblings Carl Jacobson, Judith Landgren and Anna Christina (Stina) Jakobsson. Lilly is survived by many nieces and nephews. One of the youngest, her great, great, great niece even carries her name.
A memorial service celebrating Lilly’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, August 26, 2013 at Touchmark. A reception will follow the memorial service at Touchmark. Memorials are suggested to Soroptimist International Heritage Club of Helena MT, PO Box 6467, Helena MT 59604.
Service Schedule
Memorial Service
2:00 p.m.
Monday August 26, 2013
Touchmark
915 Saddle Drive
Helena, MT 59601
Reception
Following the memorial service.
Monday August 26, 2013
Touchmark
915 Saddle Drive
Helena, MT 59601
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Sandi Benson says
Lilly was a beautiful person who provided so many wonderful opportunities to all who knew her. She was dedicated to Soroptimist Heritage Club and to the mission of this International Organization for over 50 years. She truly was a shining star at our meetings and will be missed by many for years to come. I’ll always love and carry her in my heart.
Mary Sue (Decker) Rivale says
Aunt Lilly was married to my dad’s brother, Uncle Bill. We never thought of one without thinking of the other, they were so dedicated to one another. In 1996 they came to Denver to help my mom and dad, Lois and Leonard Decker, and Tony and Marie Louise Tucker celebrate their 50th wedding anniversaries. Lilly made a special dip (I can’t remember what it was), and they packed it with ice in a fanny pack and Uncle Bill brought it on the plane. We all got a chuckle out of the trouble they went to bringing that dip to the Party.
Susan Sabol says
Lilly was a good friend to my mother Audrey Dixon. Mom passed away 2 yrs ago in October, but she always wanted to go visit with Lilly. My thoughts are with you.
Käthe and Milton Crum says
We felt close to Lilly as soon as we met her in 2007. She and Käthe were both Scandinavians by birth. All three of us appreciated nature, both plant and animal. Lilly’s courage and good humor in spite of difficulties, as in the exercise class, enabled us to confront our increasing decrepitude less fearfully.
Karlene Jacobson Clendenning says
Aunt Lilly has always been very dear to me. When my brother and I were young (preschool) we lived in the same town and could enjoy visiting her. She was very caring and had a chest with color books or games to entertain us. Her graciousness stayed with her over the years; when I took my 7 year old granddaughter to visit her and Uncle Bill in Clancy, they had a ring toss game for her that she enjoyed playing out in their lovely yard.
When our Dad, Lilly’s brother, passed on, Aunt Lilly and Uncle Bill flew to Oregon with a large box of spritz cookies that Aunt Lilly had made, knowing that those had been childhood favorites for my brother and me.
I am very thankful for my relationship with Aunt Lilly. She, right along with my parents, who were very close to her, were important models in my life. She was a very courageous, gracious, beautiful lady. I will miss her but always remember her.