“Lilly became a master at everything she did. Along with her gifted and renowned singing voice, she was an accomplished seamstress (who made most of her own clothes beginning at the age of 12), artist, gourmet cook, and gardener. She started wall papering with her friend Joan, which morphed into a successful business installing decorative moldings and paneling. Nothing could stop her. Two story foyers that required perilous scaffolding she took in stride. Her dear friend Nancy tells a story about lamenting the condition of her beloved old piano to which mom replied, “So let’s refinish it” … and they did! Each birthday for her extended family was accompanied by a remarkably decorated and delicious cake. Every grandchild has their own quilt made especially for them. She lived by and was a prime example of her motto.

“Lilly and her sister Isabelle were 6 and 5 years old when their father, Tom Ross (former band leader and choir director at St. Joes in Ashland) coached them to perform Silent Night — soprano and alto — at Christmas Eve midnight mass for the congregation. That was the beginning of a joyful mindset that Lilly thrived under until very recently. There was always music in their home. In the following years, with tight three-part harmonies, Lilly, Hellen Marie and Isabel were The Ross Sisters, performing semi-professionally on local radio through their late teens and early twenties until a handsome young Jack Lauer came along and caught her attention. At a little ice cream parlor called Candyland in their home town, there was a juke box. It was there that Lilly and Jack danced their way into each other’s hearts and remained quite the Fred and Ginger for nearly 60 years …

“Lilly was truly, innately elegant, gracious, warm, loving, giving and uber talented with an underlying confidence and determination that fueled everything she did. She was a force, and she had the very best French twist ever.”