Judy Lill

Judy Lynn Lill (Dusek), 56 years old, returned to her heavenly home on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, after her short but strong fight against cancer.  Judy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on January 12, 2023, and was admitted to the hospital on January 20, 2023. Her love and support for her family shone through in the last few days of her life. She was surrounded by family as we prayed over her as she ascended into Heaven to get her angel wings. I should warn you this isn’t going to be your normal obituary because my mom was not a normal woman. She was an extraordinary wife, mama bear, sister, aunt, “adoptive mom” to my friends, a warrior who fought hard for her family and now our guardian angel.

Judy was born in Harvey, ND, on the 11th of December in 1966 to Lawrence and Audrey (Grochow) Dusek. She grew up on the family farm north of Martin, ND. The farm where Judy grew up was her absolute favorite place to be, and she was always proud to call it home.  Judy attended and graduated from school in Anamoose. She then attended college in Devils Lake, graduating top of her class with her associate degree. After college she fell in love with living in Langdon, ND, for the remainder of her life.

She worked many years at the Bread Pan Bakery where her love for baking only grew. She also owned and operated Judy’s Kitchen and Catering for many years. If you knew my mom well, you knew how incredible she was at cooking and baking. Every holiday or just on a random day, Judy would bake treats for her family and friends and deliver delicious homemade goodies right to your doorstep. After a few years of living in town, she received a job offer as a part-time mail carrier. On the first day she was offered a full-time position. She LOVED delivering mail, and she enjoyed many laughs with her friends on her mail route. My mom delivered mail through rain, sleet, or snow. She was always there for everyone whenever they needed her. She had a special way of taking care of family, friends, employees, and neighbors. In the last 10 years, Judy was the director of the Langdon Activity Center before joining my dad with owning and operating Langdon Fire Equipment. They had planned to work through the year 2023 and then move to New Salem and help me with my coffee shop, Udderly Caffeinated. Her last wish was to see our new coffee shop. Now she has the best view of all - looking down on all of us.

Judy and Tony Lill were united in marriage on April 21, 1990, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Langdon. Their marriage was blessed, and Judy joined the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. Their home was in Langdon where I, Malinda Ellingson (Lill), was born and raised.

Judy was a huge part in the Langdon community. She was known for her years of service on Langdon City Commission, St. A’s Church Circle, Eagles Auxiliary Member, and Langdon’s 125^th Centennial Board director.

Judy is survived by her husband, Tony, of Langdon; daughter Malinda (Nolan) Ellingson of New Salem; brothers: Russell (Alice) of Stanley, James (Anita) of New Salem; sisters: Susan Corwin of Jamestown, Deborah (Larry) Schoepp of Lakota, Janice (Stanley) Degenstein of Gwinner, Joan (Chip) Chiappiti of Sun City West, AZ, Grace (John) Minarik of Forman, Annette Dusek of Reno, NV; sisters-in-law: Mary Dusek of Moorhead and Linda Dusek of Anamoose; and numerous nephews and nieces. Judy was preceded in death by her parents; brothers David and Lowell Dusek; in-laws Ed and Ethel Lill; brothers- in-laws: Gary, Mark, and Wayne Lill along with numerous other loved ones.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Langdon. Visitation will be held Friday, February 10, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service at the Brooks Funeral Home in Langdon.