Lynda K. Lohmeier

Lynda Kaye Lohmeier

July 6, 1946 - August 26, 2023

Lynda Lohmeier passed away on Saturday, August 26 surrounded by love. She lived her life to the fullest, even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021.

Lynda was born to Maurice and Ora Jacobson in Ada, MN. She was the third of four children, yet her elder brother loved to jokingly refer to her as his “older sister” because she was the oldest daughter. That always made for a good round of laughter and one of Lynda’s famous “looks.”

Education was important to Lynda. She graduated from Concordia College and later earned her Master’s Degree from Bemidji State University. After college, she married David Gilbertson. They had two children together, Kirsten and Adam. In 1993, Lynda married Dean Lohmeier and welcomed his daughters, Moria and Madaline, to her family. Dean had always thought of her as just the “kid next door” but eventually came to realize that there was more to the story. Lucky for him!

At her core, Lynda was a teacher and a student. She loved to learn about the world and the people around her and it was contagious. If you spent any time with Lynda, you learned something new.

Lynda was a beloved English and speech teacher, known by her students first as Mrs. G and then as Mrs. L. She spent most of her teaching years at Fosston High School. She also taught at Shanley High School for several years before fully retiring. Her students often describe her as their hardest and yet favorite teacher, a rare combination. She was well-known for her writing system called “contracts” which involved editing and rewriting. You’d often find her in a rocking chair in the living room, editing with a purple pen (she believed red was too harsh). Thousands of her students are better writers because of her dedicated teaching.

Lynda was also an adventurer at heart. She traveled to all 50 states and at least 40 countries – China, Norway, Egypt, Cuba and Thailand being some of the most memorable. Dean and Lynda explored many regions of the United States at a leisurely pace in their RV, taking in obscure museums and the small-town cafes that people don’t often take the time to find.  A bone of contention sometimes arose as he considered several weeks of travel with an average of 42 miles per day an excellent trip. She was not always so sure. Their foreign travel would involve a car and usually a complete lack of definite destination or any real daily agenda. Lynda’s international travel adventures also often involved her sister-in-law, Kathy Jacobson. Her final adventure was an epic long-planned trip to New Zealand and Australia with her daughter, Kirsten, and a beloved band of travelers she met in Cuba – Heidi, Judy, Larry and Karen.

She was an incredibly cool lady, driving a yellow VW Bug for many years (she had two!). She rode her motorcycle in some great places such as the Black Hills or the Smoky Mountains. She rode the “Tail of the Dragon” (318 curves in 11 miles) three different times-both ways! She also set her own fashion standards, always sporting her signature hat.

An adoring Grandma, Lynda treasured attending her grandkids’ events and fostered their love of reading and traveling. She started a tradition of taking each grandkid on a solo trip when they finished elementary school. Davis chose Boston and Reid chose New York, trips that shaped how they see the world. We’re so sad that Henry’s trip was rescheduled and eventually canceled due to her illness. Auntie Kirsten will be stepping in to keep the tradition going.

Lynda loved her extended family fiercely. She enjoyed playing games like Speed Scrabble and A to Z. Those activities were always filled with laughter and inevitably generated stories that are retold again and again (ask any of the Jacobsons about extinct elephants).

Lynda is survived by her devoted husband, Dean. Her children, Kirsten & Travis Jensen, Adam & Sarah Gilbertson, Moria Shannon, Madaline & John Machamer; five grandchildren, Davis & Reid Jensen, Henry Gilbertson, Brandon Lisburg and Cosette “Coco” Machamer; two brothers, Wally & Vonnie Jacobson, Curt & Kathy Jacobson; one sister, Barb & Ritch Pope; and many beloved nieces, nephews and extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Maurice & Ora Jacobson, a nephew, Bill Jacobson, and a granddaughter, Gracelynn Gilbertson.

Here are some ways you can honor Lynda: Read a book, share your smile, travel somewhere on your bucket list, strike up a conversation with someone you meet, or enjoy a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream with cashews. Please consider a gift in her memory to a place near and dear to her heart, The Aurora Center for the Arts in Fosston, MN (formerly the Fosston Library Arts Center): https://auroracenterforthearts.org/

Celebration of Life Services:

• Fosston: Sat., Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. | Aurora Center for the Arts | 403 Foss Ave. N., Fosston, MN
• Moorhead: Sat., Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. | Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd | 4000 28th St. S., Moorhead, MN