Viola Evangeline (Axness) Falk

Viola Falk, of Montevideo, died on Monday, June 2, 2003 at the Chippewa County - Montevideo Hospital at the age of 99.

Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, June 6, 2003 at 1:30 PM at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Gregory Gabriel officiating.  Interment will be in the Sunset Memorial Cemetery.

Visitation will be Thursday afternoon and evening at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo with the family present from 5-7:00 P.M.

Viola Evangeline (Axness) Falk was born on April 15, 1904 in Montevideo, MN to Alfred and Anna (Drusch) Axness.   She was baptized on June 12, 1904 and confirmed on May 12, 1918, both by Rev. Abel Anderson at the Norwegian Lutheran Church that is now in Pioneer Village.  She attended Montevideo Schools and graduated from Montevideo High School in 1921.  She attended Teacher’s Training in 1922 and later attended summer sessions at St. Cloud Teachers College.  She taught rural schools for 23 consecutive years, 4 years in District #9 and 19 years in the upper grades in District #7.  When she retired from teaching she worked at Ekbergs, Zaiser’s Dairy, Monte Motor Sales, and managed Sears for 3 ½ years.  On July 26, 1942 she was united in marriage to Morris Falk at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. In 1945, Viola and her sister began a nursery school.  After a lifetime of school, books, and teaching, she collected pictures of students.  Every Christmas brought dozens of picture cards and graduation time brought photos from students she had taught.  She was an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, its womens groups, altar guild, prayer circle, and taught Sunday School for 35 years.  She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Historical Society and was a Past Matron of the Sunrise Chapter of the Eastern Star. She enjoyed crafts, family history, poetry and readings.

She is survived by two sisters-in-law: Ione Falk of Montevideo and Betty Norman of Princeton, NJ as well as by three nieces: Alice (Arntzen) Stehn and her husband Roger of Spicer, MN, Betty Ann (Norman) Alessi and her husband Sal of Moorestown, NJ, and Pamela (Norman) Berchtold and her husband Ed of Lambertville, NJ; and grand nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Morris in 1976; two brothers: Arthur and Walter Axness; a foster brother, John Norman; and three sisters: Marie Axness, Alice Arntzen and Aleatha Axness.