Lucille Dalzell, age 89 of Isanti died December 3, 2020 at home. The Service will be Tuesday, December 8, at 2:00. The viewing will be one hour before the service at the First Baptist Church in Emery, SD. The service will be live streamed by going to FBCemery.org or going to youtube and typing in FBCemery.org. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to NAB Mission Japan. It can be sent directly to: NAB 1219 Pleasant Grove Blvd. Roseville, CA 95678 or FBC Emery PO Box 65 Emery, SD 57332.
Lucille (Wipf) Dalzell was born October 14, 1931 to David and Elizabeth Wipf in Freeman, SD.
Lucille accepted Christ as her personal Savior at age 11 during revival meetings at the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church (now known as Salem Mennonite Church) in Bridgewater, SD. She was later baptized by her father in Lake Hanson near Alexandria and became a member of the First Baptist Church in Emery.
After completing a one year Normal Course at Freeman Junior College in 1950 she taught for a year in a rural school south of Emery. The family then moved to Minneapolis in 1951 and Lucille attended Northwestern Schools (Now Northwestern University) and she graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree. She taught Elementary Vocal Music at Litchfield Elementary in Mitchell, SD from 1954-1958. During those years she taught Good News Bible Clubs in her home as well as being active in a local Baptist Church.
In 1958, after feeling challenged that perhaps the Lord had more for her, Lucille enrolled at the North American Baptist Seminary (now Sioux Falls Seminary). As she was approaching graduation she began considering what the Lord would have her do. After much prayer and counseling she felt led to apply for missionary service in Japan.
In June 1960 she was commissioned for service to Japan. She spent two years in language study in Kyoto after which she worked in several Japanese churches, helping with Bible studies, ladies, youth and children’s outreach. For approximately 12 years Lucille would go to Osaka where she taught piano and organ at the Osaka Biblical Seminary and also went to Osaka Christian School (now Kansai Christian School) to teach piano two days a week.
From September 1990 to April 1996 Lucille was the manager of the Christian Education Center in Tsu.
Though at times there would be discouragement, the Lord was always faithful in helping her. Lucille around joy in writing acrostics. One of her favorites was the word WAIT from Isaiah 40:31:
“They that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”
W – Whisper my need
A – Anticipate God’s help
I – Intrust myself to Him
T – Thankfully accept His answer when it comes
In April 1996 at the age of 64 Lucille came home to South Dakota to retire. Floyd Dalzell heard about Lucille through a mutual friend and correspondence began which let to courtship and their marriage on March 15, 1997. At the time Floyd was serving at interim pastor in Newell, SD. Throughout their marriage they served in churches in Beulah, ND, Wilcox, NE, Avon, SD, and Marion, SD.
In 2017 Lucille and Floyd moved to Cambridge, MN to be near their daughter Joyce Scheumann. They enjoyed making many friends and conducting a regular hymn sing every Saturday afternoon at their independent living apartment building, and attending Oxlip Evangelical Free Church in Isanti, MN. At the end of February 2020 Lucille and Floyd moved to an assisted living apartment in North Branch, MN for five months. Due of COVID they were isolated in their apartment and plans were made to move into the Scheumann home to have support with family. Floyd was able to move in with the Scheumann’s in July, but due to many falls, Lucille was moved to long term care for one month while the renovation took place at the Scheumann home. Lucille joined Floyd the last week of August and they enjoyed three wonderful months together. She spent the last 9 days of her life in bed very weak from COVID.
Lucille thanked the Lord for His guidance and provision over the 89 years of her life. Left to remember Lucille are her husband, Floyd; brother Don (Paula) Wipf; Nieces Jacque (Dave) Olson, Judy (Leo) Lage, Donna (Bret) Starr, Laura (Justin) Brown, great niece Harper Brown and nephews Terry Wipf, Randy (Kathy) Wipf, and David Wipf, four step-children, eighteen step-grandchildren, twenty-six step-great grandchildren, and many relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, mother, step-mother, brother Melvin Wipf, sister-in-law Janette Wipf and infant niece Sally Wipf, step-son Timothy Dalzell and step-great grandson Theodore Scheumann.
Aunt Lucille was the kind of Aunt that you could never get enough of. She was always so involved in her work professing Christ in her life, and as I am old I understand that, but as a kid I just missed her and love d her.
Lucy and I were housemates when I first went to Japan as a North American Baptist short-term missionary in 1971. Since both of our first names were ‘Lucille,’ the name board above our door read ‘Lucille Wipf’ and ‘Lucille DeBoer”. People thought that Lucille was our family name and that we were mother and daughter! Lucy loved to bake! Some of her endeavors fell a little flat—like the three-layer cake she made that stood a total of 1 and a half inches high! She put her heart into everything she did, making her a popular person that people loved to be around. She loved the song, “All the way my Savior leads me” and she would hum or sing it non-stop, especially the last line: “This my song through endless ages Jesus led me all the way.” She was a true servant of God and will be greatly missed by many in the US and Japan.