June 16, 1932 – December 9, 2021On Dec. 9, Lillie June Wiens Vogt McDowell Momsen went to sing in the heavenly choir. Her parents, sisters, and brother are waiting for her.
She was born June 16, 1932, the seventh of eight children of Peter D. and Mary M. Wiens. It was a time of poverty in Enid, Oklahoma, and the family members worked hard to afford food. Ms. Momsen studied hard and graduated from Corn Bible Academy in Oklahoma in 1950. She traveled with the Academy choir and started basketball athletics. She married soon after and gave birth to four boys (three survived). She raised these boys single-handedly during the 1960s, often working two jobs to make ends meet. All three graduated high school and have become successful in their respective fields. She would tell you that these were her proudest achievements and greatest joy.
During those tough 1960s, Ms. Momsen worked in data processing for Hackney Iron & Steel and then at Vance Air Force Base. She worked at scheduling at Ray I. Jones, did bookkeeping for small businesses, and worked for the 2000 census bureau. She was a member and Sunday School teacher at Emmanuel Baptist Church. She loved making floral arrangements, ceramics, oil painting, custom baking, and embroidering emblems on clothing. Her baked goods and paintings often won awards at the Garfield County Fair. While she lived in Enid, she was president of the local OSU Extension Club for several years. When she moved to Oklahoma City, she started a quilting club at her church.
Survivors include her three sons, Nathan of Lubbock, TX, John (Kathy) of Oklahoma City, and Clif (Karen) of Hennessey; five grandchildren; a slew of great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. Her sister, Viola Heinriches, is the last surviving member of her peers.
Ms. Momsen’s celebration of life will be at First United Methodist Church, 201 S. Cherokee, Hennessey, OK. The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8, with Rev. PJ Stewart presiding. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Arthritis Foundation, 1355 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA.