Viola Elizabeth (Suntken) CHRISTIE

CHRISTIE, GRUIS, SUNTKEN, GODIN, KOOSMAN, EVENSON, WIESE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/8/2016 at 14:19:51

March 30, 1917 ---- September 2, 2016

Viola E. Christie, 99, of Willmar, [Minnesota] died Friday, September 2nd at Bethesda Pleasant View in Willmar. Her funeral service will be 11:00 am, Friday at First Reformed Church in Willmar. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 pm, Thursday at Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar and continue one hour prior to the service at church. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Willmar. Arrangements are with Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar.

Viola Elizabeth Suntken, the daughter of John and Yettie (Gruis) Sunken was born on March 30, 1917, at the family farm in Wright County, Iowa. She was baptized as an infant at the Reformed Church in Alexander, Iowa and graduated from Catechism in 1935 at Meservey Reformed Church. Her education included graduating from Meservey High school in Iowa in 1935 and she also attended a class at the University of Iowa in Genealogy and Administration.

Viola was united in marriage to LeRoy Christie on April 7, 1947, at Immanuel Reformed Church in Belmond, Iowa. Following their marriage they farmed, owned and operated Bel-Chris Nursing Home, and raised five children. In 1969 they moved to Danvers then to Benson before moving to Willmar in 1971.

Viola was an active member in the First Reformed Church and Willmar Senior Citizens. She had a strong faith, and love for God and her family. She was also a firm believer in the power of prayer. Music was very important part of her life. She was a self-taught musician, playing the organ, harmonica, piano, accordion and auto harp. She traveled with God’s Hams for 35 years, sang in the Senior Citizens Choir and played the organ for church services at the Willmar State Hospital for eight years. Every Christmas you would find her leading the family in singing Christmas Carols and playing the piano or accordion. She was a very gifted seamstress, making quilts for all her grandchildren, crocheting afghans for her great-grandchildren along with making cabbage patch dolls and pound puppies. She was blessed to have had the opportunity to travel with LeRoy to Hawaii to visit their daughter and son-in-law for 10 winters, and travel to Europe and Israel in 1975.

Due to health reasons, Viola entered Bethesda Pleasant View Nursing in 2011. She kept active by playing cards (she didn’t like to lose!), bowling, and always kept everybody laughing by telling her many jokes. She always had a great smile and a contagious laugh.

Viola died peacefully on September 2, 2016, at the nursing home at the age of 99 years, after suffering from Bulbar ALS. She is survived by her children: Vivian (Dan) Godin of Milidani, HI, Vernon (Bernice) Christie of Hancock, Jeanne (Dan) Koosman of New London, Lois Evenson of Buffalo, and Arthur (Leah) Christie of Tulsa, OK; ten grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and brother, Herman Suntken of Belmond, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, LeRoy Christie; brothers: Ben Suntken, Fred Suntken and Jesse Suntken; parents; sisters-in-law: Zola Wiese, Tina Suntken, Lorraine Suntken, Esther Suntken, Mildred Suntken and Bernice Suntken; and nephew, Jerry Suntken.

http://www.hafh.org/sitemaker/sites/Harvey1/obit.cgi?user=34356475_VChristie