December 3, 1920 – September 20, 2021
Lola Murdock Dixon, 100, of Aberdeen died peacefully on September 20, 2021.
She was born in Timber Lake on December 3, 1920 to Horace and Esther Murdock. After graduating from Timber Lake High School in 1939, she moved to Aberdeen where she attended Northern State College and subsequently worked at the YMCA.
Following her blind date with Ned Dixon in 1940, and after his graduation from South Dakota State, they were married in 1942 at Scandinavia Lutheran Church, rural Aberdeen. They left on the afternoon of the wedding day for Cincinnati, OH, where Ned had been hired as a test engineer for Wright Aeronautical. Lola worked for Dan Cohen Shoe Company and then at the Wright plant when the no-spouse rule was relaxed.
They returned to South Dakota in 1943 and moved into the farm house where she lived for the next 75-plus years. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ned and Lola farmed actively until their official “retirement” in 2010 when they both turned 90. In addition to endless cooking for family and farm hands, Lola could frequently be found in the field operating machinery. Her least favorite job was cultivating corn; her most favorite was operating her combine during harvest.
A devoted mother, she enjoyed watching her children's baseball games and other sports, school and 4-H activities. In later years, she took great delight in family gatherings and visits from grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. She especially enjoyed the family gathering to celebrate her 100th birthday.
Lola was active in church and community affairs. A long-time member of Scandinavia Lutheran Church, she served in many capacities. She re-constructed and compiled many church historical documents, including records translated from Norwegian. At the state level, she served on numerous synod committees. Locally, she was an active Zonta member.
She is survived by her children, Joe (Barbara) of Colorado Springs, CO, daughter Carol Mary (Mark Weber) of Columbus, OH, son Ned (Linda Fritz, deceased) of Buena Vista, CO, and son Alan (Janet) of Aberdeen; 7 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren; her sister, Leona Schuler of Tucson, AZ; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Ned, sister Margaret Murdock, and brother Stuart.
Her memorial service was held at Scandinavia Lutheran Church on October 2. Memorials may be sent to the church, 39496 140th Street, Aberdeen, SD 57401.