COOMBS, Violet Marion

COOMBS, OCHRYMOWYCZ, KONET, TALLEY, NELSON, DUNLAP, CARLSON, JOHNSON

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 11/5/2006 at 18:03:40

Cherokee Chronicle Times, Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Violet Marion Coombs, 89, died on Monday, Oct. 23, 2006, at Careage Hills in Cherokee.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Alta, with Pastor Kathy Wicks officiating. Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, Alta. A gathering at WEL-Life will follow the services. Visitation is on Friday, Oct. 27, 2006, from 4 to 8 p.m. with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. at the Barker Funeral Home in Alta and on Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church. Barker Funeral Home of Alta is in charge of the arrangements.

Violet was born March 10, 1917, in Cherokee. She was confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Cherokee, on May 31, 1931 and graduated from Wilson High School, Cherokee, with the class of 1935. During high school, Vi served an internship at the Hawley-Allison Company and, upon graduation, she continued employment with them for six years.

Vi married William "Bill" Coombs on Nov. 13, 1941, and they lived on the Coombs farm southwest of Alta the remainder of their married life. They were blessed with two children, Judy and Dennis. In addition to being a loving mother and wife and contributing to the successful operation of the farm, Vi took on an additional job as bookkeeper for the Quaker Oats Company elevator operation in Alta. She retired 26 years later from Cargill, Inc. (currently Agland Partners) and thoroughly enjoyed the personal interactions with her fellow colleagues and the elevator patrons. Bill and Vi traveled extensively and enjoyed three winters in Mesa, Arizona, before Bill died on Aug. 3, 1989.

Vi continued living on the Coombs farm until October of 2002, when she moved to WEL-Life Assisted Living Center in Alta. In June of 2006, Vi moved to Careage Hills Nursing Center in Cherokee, where she lived until her death. Vi was a member of the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta for more than 50 years. She had been a Sunday School teacher, sang in the choir, was a co-leader of her circle group, and was active in the women's workshop group. Vi was a long-time member of the Nokom's Study Club and of the Alta "We Care" Support Group.

It is Vi's wish that in lieu of flowers, a donation on her behalf be made to either the Handicap Accessible Fund of Trinity Lutheran Church, 401 West 2nd Street, Alta, IA 51002, or to the William and Violet Coombs Scholarship, which annually provides an Alta High School graduate with college scholarship funds, c/o Heritage Bank, 202 Main Street, Alta, IA 51002.

Vi is survived by two children, Judy Ochrymowycz and her husband Leo of Eau Claire, Wisc. and Dr. Dennis Coombs and his special friend, Lena Konet of Etna, N.H.; four grandchildren, Dr. Jennifer Coombs of Durham, N.C., Tara and Jeff Talley of Flower Mound, Texas, Seth and Yvette Coombs of Basel, Switzerland, Matthew Coombs of Etna, N.H.; and a great grandson, Nicholas Talley.

Vi is also survived by her brother, Clifford "Kip" and Iona Nelson of Denver, Colo.; one sister-in-law, Neoma Coombs of Snellville, Ga.; one brother-in-law, Bill Dunlap of Huntington Park, Calif.; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William; her mother and father, Einar and Alma (Carlson) Nelson; her two sisters, Berniece Dunlap and Gertrude Nelson; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Mary and Charles Coombs; five brothers-in-law, Leslie Johnson, Claude Coombs, Noel Coombs, Boyd Coombs, and Byrne Coombs; and three sisters-in-law, Veryl Johnson, Luzon Coombs, and Marion Coombs.