Obit: Garbisch, Viola #2 (1920 - 2013)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Garbisch, Bardeleben, Wittke, Olson, Smith, Hamilton, Schoessow

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 1/16/2013

Garbisch, Viola (21 May 1920 - 11 January 2013)

Viola Garbisch, 92, of Neillsville, passed away Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, at her home in the Neillsville Retirement community. She was born in the Town of Weston, rural Neillsville, May 21, 1920, the daughter of Ferdinand and Erna (Bardeleben) Wittke. Viola married Alfred L. Garbisch Dec. 18, 1940, at her parent’s home. They farmed in the Town of York, near Granton, for almost 30 years. When her husband passed away, Viola continued to farm with her son, Roger. In 1979, she moved to Hill Street in Neillsville. For the past three and one-half years, she has enjoyed life at the Neillsville Retirement Community.

Viola attended Pine Valley Mound Elementary School. She was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Neillsville with the class of 1935. As a mother, she was involved in her children’s education; she was Romadka School PTA president and a band mother, as all of her children played in the Granton High School Band. Later, she continued her education by taking business classes at Granton High School. Viola earned her High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) and her certified nursing assistant degree from Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire. While living in Neillsville, she worked at the Arbutus Café for five years, and after earning her nursing assistant certificate, she worked five years at the Memorial Nursing Home as a CNA.

Viola loved flowers and gardening. She always had perennials and flowers in bloom, vegetables in her garden and the most delicious raspberries. She enjoyed traveling with friends and relatives, and she took several trips, including trips to Hawaii, the holy land, Europe, Mexico and many states in the USA. As a member of several Homemaker groups, she enjoyed many friendships. She was a member and officer of Zion Lutheran Ladies Aid in Granton for over 65 years. She especially enjoyed visiting her neighbors over the years, as well as bringing cheer to friends who were in the hospital or nursing homes. She will be greatly missed by all who enjoyed her good-natured spirit.

Survivors include her children, Milton (Nancy) Garbisch of rural Granton, Virginia (David) Olson of Chippewa Falls, Eileen (Richard) Smith of Appleton, Roger (Lois) Garbisch of rural Granton and Janice (Roger) Hamilton of Cottage Grove. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Viola was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred; her parents; a brother, Lester Wittke; and a great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services for Viola will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Granton, with Pastor Daniel Schoessow officiating. Interment will follow in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation was held Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gesche Funeral Home in Neillsville and will also be one hour prior to services Wednesday at the church.

Memorials may be given to Zion Lutheran Church in Granton or to the Lutheran Hour.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com. 

The Gesche Funeral Home is assisting Viola’s family with funeral arrangements.