Yvonne Philipp, 92

Thief River Falls – Yvonne Philipp, age 92, of Thief River Falls and formerly of rural Goodridge, passed away on Sunday, February 8, 2026, under the care of Oakland Park Nursing Home and Hospice of the Red River Valley.
Yvonne Elizabeth Mead was born on July 25, 1933, in Grandview, Manitoba, the first of three children to Dorothy “Dolly” (Bounds) and J. O. Mead. At the age of three, her family moved to a small farm west of Thief River Falls in Nordan Twp. Yvonne attended country school and Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls with the Class of 1951 and graduated with her GED in 1970.
Yvonne met Vernon Philipp in the late 1940s. They were united in marriage on October 22, 1950, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls. After living briefly in the Twin Cities, they settled on what would become their family farm NE of Thief River Falls in Grand Plain Twp, Marshall County, where they/she lived for the next 60 years, before moving to Thief River Falls in 2013. They were blessed with four children, Paulette, Joe, Dale, and Mike, and a lifetime of wonderful friends, family, relatives, and memories.
Yvonne stayed busy over the years and was never one to remain idle very long. Raising her kids, keeping up with the yardwork and gardening, cleaning, and cooking meals that were often brought to the field during planting and harvest would be the short list. During the 1970s, she also enjoyed working as a teacher’s aide at Mark Twain and Knox elementary schools, where she gained another group of life-long friends.
Early on and while the children were still young, Yvonne would help Vern with planting and harvest, operating farm equipment or hauling/unloading grain, often after just a few minutes of the standard one-half round of training. Eventually after the boys were big enough to help, Yvonne and Paulette were able to stay closer to the yard.
Throughout the years, Yvonne was always very involved with extra activities, whether it was 4-H volunteering and chaperoning with her kids, to church-related jobs and leadership at Silver Creek Church, St. John’s Church, and other area-wide women’s groups. Yvonne spent countless hours with her crochet needles, making blankets, pillows, and wall hangings that earned her many awards and ribbons over the years. Her family was always amazed by how she could tear out many hours’ worth of crochet work in just a minute, after spotting a minor mis-thread in one of her ongoing projects.
After the kids grew up and moved away, she began her crafting business, Hobbies Etc., which she displayed and sold locally at the old Rex Café and Country Kitchen/Handy Farms. Yvonne was very talented at raising beautiful flowers and making flower arrangements. Yvonne always stayed busy and enjoyed traveling, craft shows, and sightseeing with her sister, JoAnn, or the ladies from the neighborhood.
Yvonne’s greatest pride and joy, however, were her four children, eight grandkids, and eleven (and counting) great-grandkids, slowly sprinkled into her life over many years.
Yvonne is survived by her three sons, Joe (Sue), Dale (Wendy), and Mike (Becky), all in the Thief River Falls/ Goodridge area; son-in-law, Daryl Augustine of Higginsville, MO; grandchildren, Derek (Susan) Augustine, Troy, AL, Dana (Randy) Shafer, Grain Valley, MO, Brad (Kylee), York, NE, Brent (Crystelle), Sally (Duke) Wolff, Johnny (Kristal), Nolan, and Isaac, all from TRF and rural Goodridge; 11 great-grandchildren, Kayla, Gracie, Adam, Brenden, Allison, Shianne, Riley, Carlye, Elliot, Norah, and Jed. She is also survived by her sister, JoAnn Peters, of Viking/TRF; brother, Frank (Jean) Mead of Lakeville; and many other nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Yvonne was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Vernon in 2003; daughter, Paulette Augustine in 2023; brother-in-law, Wayne Peters; all fourteen in-laws on the Philipp side; and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Yvonne will be held on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Thief River Falls, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. Rev. Jeffrey Lytle will officiate. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery, Thief River Falls.
May her memory be blessed.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com.
A00003B2026FB11