Funeral Service Held for Lillian Ek

Lillian died this past Monday. She had lived at Covenant Village of Cromwell since 1992 and was moved to a convalescent home after experiencing health problems in recent weeks.

Born in Rocky River, Ohio, to John and Anna (Dahlgren) Bernhard, Lillian married Luther Ek on November 11, 1939. She was part of her husband's lengthy Covenant ministry, serving in music ministries at some of the churches her husband served, according to family statements in a newspaper obituary.

Luther Ek served congregations in Phoenix, Arizona; Duluth, Minnesota; Cranston, Rhode Island; Quincy, Massachusetts; and Georgetown, Connecticut. He started the Evangelical Covenant Church in Phoenix, the first Covenant church in Arizona, and was the Covenant's eastern area director of evangelism while serving on conference boards and committees, according to The Covenant Companion. In later years, while her husband served in interim pastorates, Lillian was employed as a music teacher in the Danbury School system and was an active member of Hilltop Covenant Church.

She is survived by three sons and their wives: Dr. Timothy C. Ek and wife, Julie, of Maple Grove, Minnesota; Theodore P. Ek and wife, Janet, of Rockland, Massachusetts; and Rev. Thomas L. Ek and wife, Cheryl, of Galesburg, Illinois; as well as nine grandchildren. Her husband, Luther, died November 12, 1997.

Lillian Ek's family comprises a long line of Covenanters in various forms of ministerial service. Tim Ek served as vice president of the Evangelical Covenant Church and headed up Covenant World Relief before accepting a pastorate at Maple Grove Covenant Church in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Tom Ek is currently the pastor of The Covenant Church of Galesburg, Illinois. A grandson, Christopher Ek, is an associate pastor of Hope Evangelical Covenant Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois. And a granddaughter, Kathleen Ek, is on staff at Covenant Home in Chicago.

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