Robert Lien
Robert “Bob” Lien, age 78, of Decorah, died on Thursday, July 3, 2014, at his home.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 7, at Springfield Lutheran Church of rural Decorah with Pastor Phillip Olson officiating.
Interment was in the Springfield Cemetery near Decorah.
Robert Edward Lien was born on July 17, 1935, the son of Elmer and Grace (Borness) Lien on a farm near Eldorado. Bob moved with his family to the Lien family farm in Springfield Township that was homesteaded by his great grandfather in 1853.
Bob attended the Nerlie Country School, near the Springfield Lutheran Church and then graduated from Calmar High School in 1954.
He was united in marriage to Marlys Wilkens on June 2, 1957, at the Decorah Lutheran Church. Bob farmed the family farm his entire life with the sixth generation of Lien’s currently on the farm. Bob was given the Winneshiek County Pioneer Dairyman Award and the Distinguished Dairyman Award. He enjoyed collecting John Deere tractors of all kinds. His enjoyment in the past few years was driving in all tractorcades with the Rivers and Bluffs Tractor Club. He was proud of driving his “B”, which was a tractor that his father farmed with.
Bob was an active member of the Springfield Lutheran Church, serving in many capacities. He was involved with the Sons of Norway, the Winneshiek Dairy Council; he served as Township Trustee, and was a 4-H leader. Bob’s greatest joy was his family and he enjoyed attending his children and grandchildren’s activities.
Bob is survived by his wife: Marlys Lien, Decorah; three sons: Gary (Patty) Lien, Calmar, Scott (Sally) Lien, Newport Beach, Calif.; and Kris (Pamela) Lien, Sheldon; seven grandchildren Kari, Aaron, Megan, Mikayla, Isaac, Taylor and Shayla Lien; three sisters Viola (Conley) Linderbaum, Ossian, Celia (Harold) Stoen, Highlandville, and Helen Thune, Davenport; two brothers Ray (Aurora) Lien, Orlando, Fla., and Harold (Janice) Lien, Rochester, Minn.; uncle Einar (Jenny) Borness, Decorah; one sister-in-law Mary (John) Jensen, College Place, Wash.; two brothers-in-law: Wilbur (Jeanie) Wilkens, St. Joseph, Minn., and Bill (Phyllis) Wilkens, Asheville, N.C., along with many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and cousins.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents: Elmer and Grace (Borness) Lien. His daughter: Deb Lien Rausch in 1993, his father and mother-in-law: William and Esther Wilkens, one brother-in-law: Dean Thune.