Funeral services for 98-year-old Viola Graff of Windom, Minnesota, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, December 10, 2015, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Jeffers, Minnesota. The church is located at 202 North Deaver.
Interment will be in the Jeffers City Cemetery located in rural Jeffers along Highway #30.
Visitation will be at LaCanne Family Funeral Home-Jeffers, on Wednesday, December 9, 2015, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The funeral home is located at 210 Woodman Street. A second visitation will be held at the church the day of the funeral service from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Viola Graff passed away at Pine View Assisted Living in Windom on Saturday, December 5, 2015.
Viola Pearl (Simon) Graff was born on January 9, 1917, on a farm near Havelock, Iowa in Pocahontas County, the daughter of L. E. and Bertha (Goodman) Simon. She grew up in the Revere, Westbrook and Lamberton, Minnesota areas. She received her education from country schools in Ann Township, Highwater Township, District #38 and Lamberton High School.
On June 20, 1935, Viola was united in marriage to Gilbert Graff at her parent’s farm near Lamberton. Gilbert and Viola lived on a farm near Jeffers for 74 years, farming 52 of the years until Gilbert passed away on January 13, 2009. Viola continued living on the farm, spending winters with her daughters, until moving to Pine View Assisted Living in May 2015.
Viola was an active member of the Jeffers Trinity Lutheran Church teaching Sunday School, participating in Bible studies and Ladies Aid. She was a member of Hoe and Hope Garden Club, Cottonwood County Extension Club, Jeffers Senior Citizen Center and was a Master Gardener. She enjoyed square dancing, card games, gardening, nature, drives in the car, traveling and trying new things – but most of all she loved her family.
Viola is survived by two daughters, Opal (Russell) Raven of San Jose, California and Joyce (Helmut) Maile of Colorado Springs, Colorado; one son, Dennis (Paula) Graff of Detroit Lakes, Miinnesota; eight grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Shirley (Rod) Tunsky and husband of Blaine, Minnesota; two sisters-in-law, Mavis Simon of Comfrey and Lorraine Simon of Mountain Lake; one brother-in-law, Alvin (Lorraine) Graff of Jeffers and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gilbert and four brothers; Loren, Myrle, Melvin and Carl Simon.
