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Lillian Renner

Mrs. Lillian Renner
Lillian Renner

Eminent Homemaker

County: Minnehaha

Lillian Renner was born in Chicago Feb. 16, 1882.  After graduating from a Chicago High School and attending the Art Institute for one summer, Renner moved to Sioux Falls. Her first appointment as a public school teacher was in 1901 in the Evergreen school district in Minnehaha County. After teaching there two years, she accepted a position in the Hawthorne School in Sioux Falls. She worked in this capacity for eight years.

On Oct. 30, 1911, she was married to George L. Renner of Sioux Falls. Two sons, Rober and Leonard, were born to the Renners.

At the time of Renner’s citation as Eminent Homemaker, the Renners were operating a 320-acre farm north of Sioux Falls. Renner’s chief farming interest was raising, care and handling of poultry.

In 1920, the Renner family organized a Lutheran Sunday School and she was elected superintendent. Renner was also a Sunday school teacher for 21 years and member of the Ladies’ Aid Society.

Renner was an active Republican in her community. She represented South Dakota at the Farm Women’s conference in Chicago in 1932.

Renner was secretary of the local Farm Bureau, and a member of the Sioux Falls History Club.

In 1944, the Renner family was honored by the DeKalb Seed Company for raising 176.09 bushels of corn per acre. The Renners were entertained by the DeKalb Company in Chicago and were presented with a trophy and gift of sterling silver.