Delia Lemm

Delia "Delie" M. Tise Lemm, 102, of Melrose, died Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose.

For most of her life, from 1930 to 2002, when she moved to Pine Villa Care Center, Mrs. Lemm resided in her home on Riverside Avenue.A native of Melrose, Mrs. Lemm was born Delia Tise on Sept. 2, 1904, the first child of the late Joseph and Mary (Borget) Tise.The Tise family moved to Canada in the early 1900s, when Delia was eight. There the family owned and operated a hotel in Watson, Saskatchewan. At the onset of World War I, Mrs. Lemm and her family migrated back to Melrose, where she eventually taught school, married, raised her own family, operated a few of her own businesses, and remained an integral part of the community for the remainder of her life. A graduate of St. Boniface Catholic Grade School, Melrose High School, and St. Cloud State Teachers' College, Mrs. Lemm taught 5th and 6th grades in the Melrose public school system. She then married her husband, Leo, on July 5, 1927, who predeceased her in 1936. Mrs. Lemm was a communicant of St. Mary's (formerly St. Boniface) Roman Catholic Church, a national historical site, which her grandfather, August Borget, helped construct and where she was baptized.An avid community servant, Mrs. Lemm was involved in several organizations, including: Daughters of Isabella, Women's Catholic Order of Foresters, St. Elizabeth Society, Christian Mothers, VFW Auxiliary, and American Legion Auxiliary. A pioneer of women's activism, Mrs. Lemm became the first lay person appointed to the Stearns County Public Health Nursing Advisory Board. She also was appointed to the Melrose Charter Board, which reviewed and revised old city laws. A political activist as well, Mrs. Lemm was involved in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and served as a voting delegate to Minnesota state conventions. After the death of her husband in 1936, she opened Delia's Beauty Shoppe in Melrose, which she operated until the start of WW II. At the onset of WW II, when her brothers joined the military, Mrs. Lemm went into the family business, Tise's Bar, until their return. After the war, she opened Delia's Sandwich Shop. And, after her father retired, Mrs. Lemm returned to Tise's Bar as a co-owner/operator with her brother, Sonny.In addition to her business and community service ventures, Mrs. Lemm was a talented pianist, who also enjoyed singing. The talent was not only a hobby, but it also became a part-time job. In the early 1900s, Mrs. Lemm was a pianist for silent movies in the Melrose movie house which was then located on the second floor of a Main Street building. A member of two book clubs, reading (books and newspapers) was another pastime of Mrs. Lemm.Through all of her hobbies, talents, community activities, and businesses, Mrs. Lemm touched the lives of many people locally, as well as European relatives who became displaced during and after WW II.In 1984 she was the recipient of the Pope John Paul II Special Apostolic Blessing.The City of Melrose declared September 2, 2004 Delia Lemm Day in honor of her 100th birthday.

Survivors include two of her three children: LaNita Bennett and her husband, Frank, of Mount Airy, MD; and Ronelda Kinsey of Long Branch, NJ. Also surviving are her daughter-in-law, Betty Lemm, of Williams, MN.; her brother and sister-in-law, Clyde and Virginia Tise, of Melrose, MN; sister-in-law, Lucille Tise, of Montevideo, MN; a brother-in-law, James Hall, of Reidsville, NC; 19 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She will be greatly missed by her surviving loved ones.

In addition to her parents, Delia was predeceased by her husband, Leo, who died August 11, 1936, and her son, LaMonde, who died June 13, 2006. She was also predeceased by her siblings: Alma Sandbrink, Ihrma Tise, Helen Tise, Ervin Edwin (Sonny) Tise, LaVerne (Tubby)Tise, Lorraine Hall, Leola Tise, Maretta Schneider, and Melvin Tise.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Christian Mothers and Saints Bernard & Elizabeth Council will pray at 7:00 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home in Melrose.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 20, 2007 at St. Mary's Church with Rev. Vince Lieser officiating. Burial will be in the family plot in the parish cemetery.