Lois Joan Behm

Lois J. (Slagter) Behm 

age 85 of Plymouth, passed away October 9, 2026. 

Lois is survived by her husband, Ron; daughters, Dawn Lund (Jim) and Rhonda Palmersheim (Jamie); grandchildren, Christina Clukey (Ryan), Melissa Lund, Matthew Lund (Mercedes), Gerrit Severeid and Cooper Severeid; great-grandchildren, Caden & Sienna Clukey, Solomon Lund; other cherished relatives and treasured friends. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Louise (Dykema) Slagter; siblings, Rodney, Lowell, Glynora (White), and Arvid.

Lois lived a God-kissed life. Not a perfect life, but a life full of God’s countless blessings. Raised in rural Priam, Minn. by two hardworking, faithful, and stoically Dutch parents (if you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much!) Lois learned early on that God provided all you needed, perhaps not all you wanted, but certainly all you needed. 

In high school, Lois was diagnosed with encephalitis and spent several weeks at Sister Kinney Institute in Minneapolis, far removed from family and friends, but becoming the “fighter” she was until her last breath. Lois’ resilience carried her through encephalitis, breast cancer, a near-fatal car crash, and several other surgeries and falls. Lois relied on her faith, her family, and her desire to live as much life as possible, to bring her through life in her earthly home. 

After returning from Minneapolis, she met the love of her life and future husband of 66 years, Ronnie Behm. This relationship could have been short-lived considering he met her shortly after her recovery and considered her “pretty sickly.” But God persisted and joined them together as one on September 16, 1960. They led an amazing life together, meeting life-long friends through the Minnesota Jaycees, their churches in Robbinsdale, at Beautiful Savior (BSLC) and Shepherd of the Desert (SOTD) in Ariz., and neighbors in New Hope, Plymouth, Scottsdale, and SummerWood. They traveled the world together, but most importantly, they traveled this journey of life together, living out the vocations that God planned for them.

Lois worked to support Ron during his college and early years at General Mills. But she was most proud of the work she did as a Title 1 Aide with the Robbinsdale School District. She loved showering her students with care and compassion, with a little bit of Jesus sprinkled in. Lois volunteered extensively in her churches as a Sunday School teacher, church librarian, and committee member. She loved studying God’s word among fellow women in her long-standing Christ Care group at BSLC and at SOTD and Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). 

Lois’ favorite things in life were her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved them fiercely and unconditionally, sometimes even rewriting history to make them all “perfect.” She did have an incredible memory, so maybe she was right! She loved planning birthday surprises for her grandchildren, slipping a little treat on their pillows when they came to stay in Arizona, and presenting them with gifts and care packages, all overflowing with treats, but more importantly, her love. She worked diligently (with many, many questions) to learn about who they were by what they did, who their friends were, and what dreams they had. Her greatest desire for each of them was to know and love Jesus. 

In her final months, Lois longed to be in heaven. She told everyone she could that she couldn’t wait to be in heaven to see Jesus and her family. She was a faithful witness of God’s enduring love to the end. Lois loved her God and her family fiercely. She is irreplaceable.

Lois’ family is incredibly grateful for the love and care shown to her by the SummerWood staff, Park Nicollet Hospice, Beautiful Savior Care Ministry, and her devoted friends who held her hand when it was needed most. 

Lois’ funeral will take place at 11:00 AM Thursday, October 15, at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 5005 Northwest Blvd., Plymouth, with visitation one hour prior to the service and a luncheon to follow. The service will be livestreamed by the church and a link will be posted here when available. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to The Ronald and Lois Behm Scholarship Endowment at Concordia University, St. Paul.