Nila Fostvedt

Born at home in Beloit, IA on April 6, 1934, Luella and Jay Lingo welcomed their sixth child and named her Nila Ann.

Nila passed away peacefully at home with her youngest son holding her hand on May 23, 2025. She was 91 years old.

Nila completed first through eighth grades at Beloit School and graduated from Canton High School. She was a friend to all and was voted Homecoming Queen in 1951. She worked at Noid Brothers Pharmacy and Soda Fountain. Her senior year, through the DECA program she worked at Frislies Apparel.

Nila married her life partner, Christopher “Louie” Fostvedt on May 20, 1953 and to this union four daughters and two sons were born. Together they built their first home in Canton, SD.

They moved to rural Vermillion in 1965 when Louie took a job as maintenance supervisor at the new Student Union building at the University of South Dakota. In 1967 they built a home just outside of the Vermillion city limits (at that time). Louie and Nila lived together in this home for 58 years.

With all of the children in school, Nila became a teacher’s aide at Austin, Jolley, and Middle schools. After eleven years she took a job as a receptionist at Dakota Hospital. Upon retirement she and Louie traveled and enjoyed eighteen weeks of different Elderhostel programs. A highlight was volunteering for a Habitat for Humanity “House Building Blitz” with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in Americus, GA. They also were active members at the Main Street Senior Center, and both served on the Board. Nila volunteered there with the Senior Nutrition meal program.

Nila grew up loving flowers and always had plants and flowers in her home and garden and was a Vermillion Garden Club member for many years.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Louie, daughter Diane (Dale) Rudy, daughter Juli (Chris) Frey, son Kim (Heidi) Fostvedt, son Kolly (Michelle) Fostvedt, son-in-law Jim Oxendale; grandchildren Uriah (Jessica) Walker, Jerome (Anabelle) Walker, Jessica (Matthew) Austin, Christopher (Taylor Nӧel) Frey, Melanie (Chris) Ernst, Jade (David) Fostvedt Nenon, Jordan Fostvedt; great grandchildren Jasper, Lorallai, Derek, Roxanne, Dylan; and sisters-in-law Sonja Fostvedt and Pat Fostvedt.

Nila was preceded in death by her parents, daughters Pat Oxendale and Kris Hafemann, infant grandson Aaron Walker, brother Charles (Hazel) Lingo, sister Helen (Lefty) Waggoner, brother Frank (Elsie) Lingo, sister Viola (Claire) Watson, brother Bob (LaVonne) Lingo, brothers-in-law Belmer “Red” Fostvedt and Dale Fostvedt.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Wednesday, May 28 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Vermillion with private family burial to follow in the Bluffview Cemetery in Vermilion. The visitation will begin at 6:00 PM Tuesday, May 27 At the church, with a prayer service at 7:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Main Street Senior Center or Trinity Lutheran Church in Vermillion.