Hilda Lydia McGill, age 84 of Hudson, WI, formerly of Dawson, MN, died on Friday, June 9, 2017 at Pine Ridge Assisted Living in Hudson, WI.
Memorial Services for Hilda will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, June 19, 2017 at Grace Lutheran Church in Dawson, MN. Pastor Jeff Fitzkappes will officiate and interment will be at Grace Lutheran Cemetery.
Visitation will be at the church for one hour before the services on Monday. Arrangements are with Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson.
Hilda Lydia (Freiwald) McGill was born August 27, 1932 in Big Stone, SD the daughter of Carl and Lydia (Mueller) Freiwald. She grew up the youngest of four children and graduated from Big Stone High School, class of 1950. After high school, she worked in the payroll office of the phone company in downtown Minneapolis. One day on the way home from work, she and her friends hopped off the streetcar and went in a bar where she happened to meet her future husband. On August 11, 1956, she was united in marriage to Ray McGill in Ortonville, MN. Their marriage would be blessed with two children. The family lived in Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center, MN before moving to Dawson where Hilda worked most recently as a librarian at the public library and volunteered at the local Thrift Store.
Hilda was an accomplished seamstress, sewing many garments for herself and her family along with doing sewing and alterations for other people in the community. She also learned Hardanger embroidery, donating many of her pieces to Grace Lutheran Church in Dawson where she was active with the altar guild and worked as church secretary. She enjoyed painting and was especially skilled at Rosemåling and other Scandinavian and German folk arts. She was very proud of her German heritage and her family roots in South Dakota.
She is survived by her children: Carla (Taylor Grant) McGill and Chuck (Sonja) McGill; grandchildren: Connor and Annika McGill; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Ray; her parents; and three siblings.