Cecilia “Butch” Wilhemina Galagan, age 95, formerly of Kenneth, Minnesota, died peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, at the Good Samaritan Society – Luther Manor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
A prayer service will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne, with visitation to follow from 5 to 7 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. Interment will be in Memory Gardens near Luverne.
To sign an online registry, please visit www.hartquistfuneral.com.
Cecilia Tille was born on Jan. 17, 1925, to John and Elizabeth (Brennan) Tille in Adrian, Minnesota. She attended school in Adrian graduating in 1943. Following school she candled eggs at the local hatchery.
On Sept. 11, 1945, Cecilia was united in marriage to William “Bill” Basil Galagan at St. Adrian Catholic Church in Adrian. The couple moved to Sioux City, Iowa, and began raising their family. In 1948 they moved to Kenneth, Minnesota, where they began renting an acreage which they later purchased in 1963. Cecilia was very active in helping on the farm by caring for the animals, which she was very knowledgeable about, and operating machinery.
In 1999 her husband Bill retired from farming and that same year passed away. Cecilia remained living on the acreage until 2012 when she moved into the Adrian Country Cottage Assisted Living Center. In May of 2014, she relocated to the Good Samaritan Society — Luther Manor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, she went to be with her Lord at the age of 95 years, 1 month, and 6 days.
Cecilia was a member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne, Minnesota, where she was involved with adoration.
Cecilia always looked her best even if just running to Kenneth to the hardware store to get a part. She was a gracious hostess. When anyone stopped by around noon time, it was a common practice for her to set a plate for them to eat as well. Evening company always had a lunch of ice cream, cookies and coffee before the evening was over.
During times of hay bailing and silo filling, she put on a huge dinner meal, and sandwiches, cookies and fresh lemonade for the mid-afternoon lunch.
Cecilia loved serving others. She was always early to the Coffee Club in Kenneth as she prepared the morning and afternoon coffee and cleaned up afterwards.
She took pride in everything she did. She was a great neighbor and friend to everyone she met. In her spare time, she enjoyed crossword puzzles, Word Find, jigsaw puzzles and the Quiddler card game.
Left to cherish her memory are her three daughters, Patricia Schaefer of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Sandra (Ron) Wood of Worthington, Minnesota, and Mary Ann Arnold, Frisco, Texas; 9 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two siblings, Ann Lange of Adrian, Minnesota, and Joseph Tille of Rutland, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William, and nine siblings, Margaret Prins, Frances Altman, Agnes Kemper, Katherine Tille, William Tille, Maurice Tille, Lawrence Tille, John Tille, and Peter Tille.
0227 V