Lila’s Logic

Born in a primitive farm house in Pinewood, Minnesota in 1916, Lila was raised by a strong loving mother and father of Irish and German heritage.  Pinewood’s farming community, made up of hard working people from blended nationalities, formed deep friendships and bonded for life. Sharing labor and food at harvest time was a long held community tradition. Recipes our mother prepared throughout her life and shared with us, stemmed from those happy potluck gatherings held at their tiny Lutheran church.

To attend high school Lila traveled by train to Bemidji and boarded with a woman during the school year. Her little suitcase held two changes of clothing, a re-made coat of her mothers, and one pair of shoes. 

Lila's, 
Lipstick Logic Lessons for a happy and long life:


Value family.

Home is where the heart is.

Lean on God’s strength.

Live strong.

Avoid debt.

Manage your money wisely.

Practice charity.

Create precious moments for others.

Stay connected to people.

Cherish friendships.

Always look your best. 

Pursue excellence.

Be positive.

Take pleasure in work.

Your health is your wealth.

A life well lived leaves a lasting legacy. 

The greatest of these is love.



Lila’s Logic contributed by: Lila's daughter Barbara Greenside
Following graduation from high school, she worked at Woolworth’s in Bemidji. It was during that time, on a blind-date, that she met our father Gordon Church. Our parent’s first home was a renovated chicken coup. Cupboards made from orange crates housed their sparse belongings.  Gordon’s steady railroad job allowed the couple to save enough money to start a family. They soon purchased a three bedroom home in Cass Lake where they lived with their four daughters for many years. Married for twenty years, Gordon died at fifty-one, leaving Lila with two of her four daughters still in grade school.

After gradual recovery from incapacitating grief, Lila found strength to go on and excel. She began her employment at the Dairy Queen in Cass Lake. She later worked as a check-out clerk at the local grocery store and from there as Cass Lake clerk of court. When JC Penney’s opened a store in Bemidji, Lila was hired in the accounting department. In 1963, Lila transferred with J.C. Penney’s to the St. Paul Har Mar store.  In 1970, Lila was hired as a comptometer operator by the Paper Calmenson Steel Company where she finished out her career. Upon her retirement, she returned to northern MN and lived in Walker until her death in 2006 at the age of 86.

Lila enjoyed a lifetime-sisterhood of friends.  Her reading club lasted more than sixty years. Her zest for life and her love for her family was obvious to all who knew her.  Throughout her life she was active in her church, a garden club member, enjoyed her quilt club, was an officer in the Senior Federation, a breakfast buddy to grade school children and owned a small cabin on Pike Bay where she often entertained her friends. She loved holding luncheons with her friends on her pontoon boat. Whether fishing, exploring a trail in the woods, climbing aboard a small plane or riding a snow mobile, Lila was an eager participant.  A fishing rod and tackle box had a place in her car trunk; she was ready on a moments notice to go fishing.

Lila’s home was perfectly organized and ultra clean. Her pantry was always stocked and a “little lunch” was a five course meal.  Her final home was May Creek Lodge in Walker.  Even though she walked 2 to 3 miles a day well into her eighties, her bones crumbled and her lungs weakened.  She had never smoked.  She required continuous oxygen her last year of life but continued to participate in activities at the Lodge.  Even with maximum effort and support from her family and friends, she was unable to recover following a hip fracture.  The disability, surgical blood loss and worsening lung condition took a heavy toll.  She knew her days were few.  She made a declaration to her four daughters, “I have taught you girls how to live and now I am going to show you how to die.”

Under hospice care, Lila left the hospital and returned to her cabin on Pike Bay.  Her four daughters, their husbands, many grandchildren and great grandchildren were with her to bid her farewell as a beautiful sun set over the lake she dearly loved.  Her loss is profoundly felt. A great emptiness exists in the place where so much love and life once existed.  We are consoled knowing we had a truly great and loving mother – a woman of great resilience and strength.  She did, indeed, show us how to live and how to die in dignity.
                                   Symbolic of the individuality of each woman’s life,
this lip print represents each woman’s unique story.
By changing lip colors, a woman can change her appearance.
By making new choices, she can change her life.