Vivian Ruth (Obrecht) HANAWALT

HANAWALT, OBRECHT, HANSEN, MODDERMAN, DIRKS, SCHLICHTING, MULDER, STATLANDER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/14/2017 at 23:46:21

July 23, 1922 --- March 24, 2017

MESERVEY, Iowa -- Vivian Hanawalt, 94, of Meservey, passed away Friday, March 24, 2017, at the Sheffield Care Center. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, at First Reformed Church in Meservey with Rev. Rodney Meester presiding. Interment will be at Meservey Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, at Retz Funeral Home, Thornton. Memorials may be directed to the Thornton/Meservey EMT's, the Sheffield Care Center or First Reformed Church in her memory to Vivian Hanawalt Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 580, Sheffield, IA 50475.

Vivian Ruth Hanawalt was born on a farm in Franklin County a daughter of Floyd William and Effie (Hansen) Obrecht. She was raised with siblings Thayne and Roger. Vivian was a member of the Lutheran Church and after moving to Meservey she became a member of the First Reformed Church in Meservey in 1986. Vivian was united in marriage with Joe Emmanuel Hanawalt on Oct. 18, 1945, at the United Lutheran Church in Thornton. Joe and Vivian celebrated 66 years of marriage before his death in 2011.

Vivian was Salutatorian of her class at the Thornton High School in 1939. She attended one semester of college and earned her certificate to teach at country schools. She obtained her degree from Mason City Jr. College in 1958 and a Bachelor of Science from Wartburg College in 1968 and did graduate work at Bemidji State College, the University of Northern Iowa and obtained her Learning Disabilities Certificate from Iowa State University. Vivian taught at Thornton, Rockford, Coulter, Graetinger, Sheffield-Chapin, Kanawha and Franklin County rural schools. Education was very important to her and she worked endless hours to help her students achieve their best.

Vivian had many other activities as President of the Ladies Aide, helped with 4H clubs as well a member for many years. For many years Vivian served on the Meservey Town Council. She taught Bible School, was superintendent of the Floral Hall at the North Iowa Fair and worked at the Franklin County Fair where she entered many winners in the floral, baking and genealogy departments. Vivian served as delegate in the Democratic Party to County, District and State Conventions.

Her passion was her flowers and all her gardens. She loved sharing her produce with so many and always planted for all her friends to enjoy. Her baking style was astronomical, baking for so many and sharing with family and others, making breads, salads, angel food cakes, candies and pickles, pears from her trees, grapes from her vines or eggs from her chickens.

Vivian and Joe built a cabin in Minnesota and enjoyed the fishing there and sharing with friends and family that vacationed there, where she had another garden. She enjoyed camping, with Joe she traveled to Australia to visit family in 1989.

Vivian is survived by her brother, Roger Obrecht; son, Ken (Julie) Hanawalt and grandson, Justin. Also nieces and nephews: Audrene Hansen, Maureen (Jerry) Modderman, Jackie (Gary) Dirks, Martha Statlander, Mary (Paul) Schlichting, Jeffrey Obrecht (Becky Parrish); sister-in-law, Nina Mulder and many great nieces and nephews that loved to be the recipients of her homemade breads, strawberry shakes, camping and fishing trips and the special times spent together. Preceding her in death were her husband, parents, brother Thayne (Opal) Obrecht, sister-in-law, Leah Obrecht, niece Colleen Obrecht. Retz Funeral Home, Thornton.

Mason City Globe Gazette -- Mason City, Iowa
March 28, 2017