Lillian Lorraine Bivens

Lillian was born on June 29, 1929, in Grover, Colorado, to Gertrude “Inez” (Rhoads) Timm and Ferdinand Arnold (F.A.) Timm. She was the fourth of eight children and grew up on the family farm east of Hereford, Colorado. Lillian attended Hereford School through the eighth grade and graduated from Grover High School in 1947.

Following graduation, Lillian was employed by Guy Smith and Sons until she married Boyd Bivens of Bushnell, Nebraska, on February 12, 1949, in Kimball, Nebraska, shortly after the historic blizzard of 1949. Together they built a life rooted in family, friends, and community. They welcomed their son, Ronald Boyd Bivens, on February 17, 1950, and their daughter, DeAnn Rae Bivens, on October 4, 1953.

Lillian and Boyd farmed south of Bushnell, Nebraska, alongside the Bivens family before purchasing and operating the Grover Locker Plant and later the Grover Grocery Store in Grover, Colorado. Lillian primarily managed the grocery store while Boyd ran the meat processing business. The family lived above the grocery store until its closure in 1968. During these years, Lillian became a well-known and trusted presence in the Grover community and was a major contributor to the founding of the biennial Grover–Pawnee Reunion.

In addition to running the family business, Lillian worked doing housecleaning and held seasonal employment with NCAR at the hail research station north of Grover. In 1973, Lillian and Boyd moved to LaSalle, Colorado. There, Boyd worked for the Valley School District and Lillian began a 19-year career in banking, followed by additional years of service with the Weld County Elections Office. She retired in 2009 at the age of 80.

Lillian was a lifetime member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Burns Chapter No. 47, and she and Boyd were longtime members of the LaSalle Lions Club. She enjoyed crafts, particularly the traditional paper-cutting art of scherenschnitte. She was also very proud of authoring two cookbooks for friends and family that preserved cherished recipes and memories. Those that were fortunate enough to try one of her famous pies were lucky indeed.

In 2018, Lillian moved to Loveland, Colorado, where she resided at Sugar Valley Independent Living and later Good Samaritan–Loveland Village.

Lillian is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Boyd Bivens; her son, Ronald “Ron” (Rhonda) Bivens; parents and in laws; her sisters Elona “Toni” Haskins and husband Ed, Frances “Fran” Thompson and husband Hank, Gertrude “Gertie” Holmes and her husband William “Bill”; brothers Sonny Joe Timm and his wife Gladys, and Paul (Louanne) Timm; brother in law Dean Bivens and his wife Betty, sister in law Donna Vavra and her husband Duane; nephews Arland Timm and Dale Vavra, and niece Sharon Vavra.

Lillian is survived by her daughter, DeAnn (Rick) Bryson; her grandsons, Timm (Carly) Bryson and Beau (Meg Tufo) Bryson; her great-grandchildren, Caroline, Quinn, Clark, Michael, and Lucy Bryson; her brothers, Verl (Helen) Timm and Otto Albert “Al” (Dorothy) Timm; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial donations can be made to Grover-Pawnee Alumni Association.

A celebration of Lillian's life will be held at the Johnstown Senior Center on Thursday, February 5, 2026 from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.