Obituary of Viola J. Ulmer

During a blizzard on February 13, 1923, Viola Johanna was born to Fred and Rosina (nee Hein) Luikens on a farm northeast of Menno, SD. She was baptized on February 25, 1923 and confirmed on April 10, 1938 at Heilbron in Freeman, SD. She attended Heilbron’s parochial school three miles from her home which she walked to every day for eight years. Viola married Elton Jakob Ulmer on August 25, 1942 in Yankton, SD. In 1973, after Elton’s passing, she worked at the Menno-Olivet Care Center for 25 years as head housekeeper, keeping it fresh smelling and clean. She also did a lot of the maintenance work. She will be remembered for growing huge garden of vegetables and did a lot of canning. She also operated the turning lathe in her husband’s blacksmith shop, Viola was a hard worker. She loved to bowl and had many 200 plus games, trophies and patches. When she came home from working hard all day, she would crochet afghans, tablecloths, doilies and the Lord’s Prayer. She gave several afghans to the Kanawkah Christian School for their fall harvest sales which helped fund the school which the Eckels children attended. Mom also made lots of quilts and helped her daughter, Vernette make a 10th Anniversary Power Show raffle quilt. Viola had two four generations of girls with her granddaughters, Teresa and Susan. She would travel with Marvin and Vernette to Vancouver, WA to visit Susan and her family, to visit Christine in Kanawha, IA and to visit Teresa and her family in Britt, IA. They always enjoyed having her along. Viola is survived by her daughter, Vernette (Marvin) Guthmiller and their three daughters: Christine Guthmiller, Teresa (Craig) Eckels and Susan (David) Vander Ploeg; great grandchildren: Josiah, Elizabeth and Levi Eckels and Amanda and Lucas Vander Ploeg; a daughter-in-law, Judy (Ulmer) (Zeke) Bittner and her son, Scott Ulmer and her daughter, Melissa (Dwayne) Schmitz; great-grandchildren: Stephen (Carrisa) Farland, Wade Farland, Vernon Ulmer and Amber Ulmer; brothers, Jake Luikens and Albert (Irene) Luikens; sister, Ruth (Oscar) DePraz and several nieces and nephews. Viola is preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Rosina, her husband, Elton, her son, LaVerne, brother, Bill, a set of twins, Fred, Jr. and Frieda, sister, Margaret and two sisters-in-law, both named Esther.