Violet Anderson, 102

Dedicated nurse, loved gardening

Violet Anderson, 102, of Fort Calhoun, died Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Autumn Pointe in Fort Calhoun.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Interment will follow in the Blair Cemetery.

Merlyn Violet "Vi" Evelyn Larson was born July 2, 1909, in Wausa to Hulda and Andrew Larson. Her parents were both born in Sweden. She grew up in rural Wausa and attended a one-room schoolhouse. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school.

She attended nursing school and Immanuel School of nursing in Omaha and graduated in 1931. Her roommate introduced her to James Anderson from Blair and they were married in 1932.

The couple spent their first 16 years living in the Desoto Hills. They had to use a horse and sleigh to get their belongings to their first home, since there was no real road.

The Andersons moved with their two children to Dana Hill in 1949 and Mrs. Anderson lived there for more than 50 years. She loved raising flowers and gardening and her red rose bushes were something to behold.

She worked in some form of nursing until the age of 72. These jobs included special duty nursing, working as a college nurse at Dana College, working as a medical surgical nurse at the Blair Hospital and volunteering often at the Red Cross Bloodmobile.

#2 Funeral Leaflet

Vi Anderson was born Merlyn Violet Evelyn Larson on July 2nd, 1909 in Wausa, Nebraska. Her parents, Hulda and Andrew were both born in Sweden. She had four brothers: Howard, Oliver, Milton and Lowell, and one sister, Eunice.

She grew up in rural Wausa and attended a one-room school house. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school.

Violet attended nursing school at Immanuel School of Nursing in Omaha and graduated in 1931. Her roommate introduced her to James Anderson from Blair and they were married in 1932.

They spent their first 16 years living in the DeSoto Hills. They had to use a horse and sleigh to get their belongings to their first home, since there was no real road.

Jim and Vi moved with their two children to Dana Hill in 1949, and Vi lived there for more than 50 years. She loved raising flowers and gardening, and her red rose bushes were something to behold.

Violet worked in some form of nursing until the age of 72. These included: special duty nursing, working as a college nurse at Dana College, working as a medical surgical nurse at the Blair Hospital, and volunteering often at the Red Cross blood mobile.

She had been active at the First Lutheran Church in Blair, especially helping to make quilts for world relief and church raffles. Vi moved to Autumn Points in 2007 and continued to sew quilt squares together on her trusty sewing machine.

She is survived by her son Jim of Blair, and her daughter, Julie Hanson and husband Jim of Boonville, Indiana; grandchildren: Scott Anderson and wife, Jacque of Guyman, Oklahoma; Karna Dam and husband Dwight of Hooper, Nebraska; Kyle Hanson and wife, Tami of Evansville, Indiana, and Mitchell Hansen and wife, Tiffany of Napa Valley, California; 6 great-grandchildren: Jenna, Taylor, Derek, Dylan, Amiah and Sadie.

In Loving Memory of Violet “Vi” Anderson

Born July 2nd, 1909 Wausa, Nebraska ~ Entered Into Rest August 24th, Fort Calhoun, Nebraska

Funeral Service 1:30 PM Saturday, August 27, 2011 First Lutheran Church, Blair, Nebraska. Officiating: Reverend Frank Philipp. Organist: Clare Cowing. Vocalists: Julie Hanson, Karna Dam, Kyle Hanson-Forté Vocal Selections: “In The Garden”, “How Great Thou Art”, “The Lord’s Prayer”. Congregational Hymn: “Amazing Grace”

Casket Bearers: Kyle Hanson, Erik Hanson, Derek Dam, Taylor Anderson, Mitchell Hanson, Dwight Dam, Dylan Dam, Scott Anderson Graveside Services: Blair Cemetery, Blair, Nebraska

~~~Obituary and funeral leaflet courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings and leaflets on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska~~~

Note: her tombstone lists her name as Violet "Vi" FindaGrave # 113533815