Celebrating the life of Viola A. Lenhard

After almost 99 years of living a full life, Viola A. Lenhard passed away earlier this week at the Hilltop Health Care Center in Watkins, MN. Daughter of the late (Robert) John and Anna Bell, she was born in Litchfield, MN in 1923.

After graduating from Grove City High School in 1941, she worked at a number of local businesses, including one of the downtown grocery stores in Litchfield. This is where she met Ernest Lenhard, a regular customer who purchased “a lot of bacon” and in September 1946 they were married in Austin, MN after which she and Ernest moved to the family farm, southwest of Litchfield. She worked hard as a farm wife of that era, raising chickens, caring for a large garden, and cooking three large meals a day until she and Ernest moved back into Litchfield in 1973. Upon their return to town, Viola worked as a lab technologist at DHIA. A member of the rural Ness Church and eventually, First Lutheran Church of Litchfield, she proudly volunteered for the local blood mobile and the Emmaus Gift Shop for many years. Her hobbies included embroidery - having completed over 3500 flour sack towels sold at Emmaus Gift Shop and other Litchfield establishments, word-searches, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, playing dominoes, and watching the Twins on TV.

She is celebrated by sister, Helen (Orville) Boelter, children, Carol (Richard) Heath, Jim (Elaine) Lenhard, and Dianne (Kenneth) Shoultz, and step-daughter, Maryann (Richard) Streater; grandchildren, Michelle (David) Berg, Chad (Stacy) Shoultz, Sara (Chris) Wilke, and Matt (Lindsie) Shoultz, and two step-grandchildren, Claire (Wayne) Mitchell and Susann Streater; and was blessed by eleven great-grandchildren, two step-great-grandchildren and two nephews.

Preceding her in death are her infant brother, Wallace; parents, John and Anna; husband Ernest; grandchildren, Joel Lenhard and Jo Lynn Hybben (Heath); great-granddaughter Tenley Wilke, and nephew, Michael Boelter.

A private graveside memorial service for the family will be held on Friday, September 24, 2021 at Ripley Cemetery.

 

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