Obituary for Viola Van Sickle
Viola Van Sickle, age 100, of Watertown, SD passed away Sunday, July 31, 2022 at Jenkins Living Center.
Funeral services will be 2:00 pm, Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown with visitation one hour prior to the service. Pastor Scott Dempster will officiate.
Interment will be at Mt. Hope cemetery in Watertown.
Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandchildren, her great great-grandchildren and the caring staff at Jenkins Living Center.
Pallbearers will be Mike Reilly, John Hoffman, Jr., Tyler Buhler, John Hoffman, Sr., Ed DeVries and Doug DeVries.
Viola "Vi" Vera was born to Julius and Belle (Pennock) Dorman in Bismarck, North Dakota. She had one brother, William, who was 4 years older. The family farmed up until the drought. Vi finished the 8th grade in a country school southeast of Bismarck and then graduated high school in Bismarck.
After graduation, Vi and a girlfriend left to find jobs in the shipyards in Vancouver, WA. They were desperate for a job and knew there were jobs due to WWII. Vi said moving out there all alone wasn't "brave" cause back then, people did what was necessary. Her grandmother had given her enough money for graduation to buy a bus ticket, so that's what she did.
She lived in an apartment in Vanport, WA, a suburb of Vancouver. Vi worked from 4pm-11pm in the tool department at the shipyard where they built ships for the military. She worked there for 4-5 years. During that time Vi remembered the cold, clear sunny day when Eleanor Roosevelt came to the shipyard to christen a new ship. It was customary for someone of fame to do this. Eleanor was the most famous person Vi remembered. The workers were allowed to watch as Eleanor broke a bottle of champagne over the boat. The whole thing took about 10 minutes, the whistle blew and they all went back to work.
Vi met her husband, Aaron Van Sickle from Watertown, SD, while on a bus in Washington. During the war everyone with a car needed gas rations. Aaron asked Vi to sign his gas ration stamp. He then came to her apartment and asked her to a movie. Vi could still remember wearing her new brown high heel shoes. After the movie, they were walking to his car when she stepped on the railroad track and broke the heel off of one of her shoes. After limping a few steps, Aaron picked her up and carried her the remaining 6 blocks to his car. Vi would say, "he carried me away"! They dated for a while and then one day, Aaron, who had a witty sense of humor, said to her "Hey my rent ain't paid yet, will you marry me?" They were married shortly after in Vanport, WA and then moved back to Watertown in 1945 shortly after WWII. Vi traveled with Aaron, his parents and his uncle. It took them 15 days to make the trip to Watertown as they would stop and camp along the way.
After moving back to Watertown, Vi cleaned for people in the area. Aaron kept up his welding skills as jobs came up for him. The couple also owned a bait shop for 33 years.
Aaron and Vi had one daughter, Scarlett. The couple was married for 52 years before Aaron passed away in 1997.
Vi did many things for her church, Cornerstone Methodist. She was a member of the Kampeska Birthday Club. She and several friends would also get together regularly to exercise. They would walk 8 laps in the mall and then go have breakfast. She enjoyed attending her grandkids sporting events, watching TV and loved Loretta Young. Vi also used to enjoy crocheting. She had a cocker spaniel named Rags, whom she adored.
Vi is survived by her daughter, Scarlett (Ed) DeVries of Watertown, SD; her granddaughter, Laurie (John) Hoffman of Watertown, SD; great-granddaughters, Myriah (Tyler) Buhler of Watertown with their children, Avery and Rhett; Megan (Zach) Crouch of Marcus, IA with their children, Ryker and Bently; and great-grandson, John Jr. (Becca Summers) Hoffman of Watertown, SD with their child, Blaikley.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Aaron; and her brother, William.
Funeral services will be 2:00 pm, Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown with visitation one hour prior to the service. Pastor Scott Dempster will officiate.
Interment will be at Mt. Hope cemetery in Watertown.
Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandchildren, her great great-grandchildren and the caring staff at Jenkins Living Center.
Pallbearers will be Mike Reilly, John Hoffman, Jr., Tyler Buhler, John Hoffman, Sr., Ed DeVries and Doug DeVries.
Viola "Vi" Vera was born to Julius and Belle (Pennock) Dorman in Bismarck, North Dakota. She had one brother, William, who was 4 years older. The family farmed up until the drought. Vi finished the 8th grade in a country school southeast of Bismarck and then graduated high school in Bismarck.
After graduation, Vi and a girlfriend left to find jobs in the shipyards in Vancouver, WA. They were desperate for a job and knew there were jobs due to WWII. Vi said moving out there all alone wasn't "brave" cause back then, people did what was necessary. Her grandmother had given her enough money for graduation to buy a bus ticket, so that's what she did.
She lived in an apartment in Vanport, WA, a suburb of Vancouver. Vi worked from 4pm-11pm in the tool department at the shipyard where they built ships for the military. She worked there for 4-5 years. During that time Vi remembered the cold, clear sunny day when Eleanor Roosevelt came to the shipyard to christen a new ship. It was customary for someone of fame to do this. Eleanor was the most famous person Vi remembered. The workers were allowed to watch as Eleanor broke a bottle of champagne over the boat. The whole thing took about 10 minutes, the whistle blew and they all went back to work.
Vi met her husband, Aaron Van Sickle from Watertown, SD, while on a bus in Washington. During the war everyone with a car needed gas rations. Aaron asked Vi to sign his gas ration stamp. He then came to her apartment and asked her to a movie. Vi could still remember wearing her new brown high heel shoes. After the movie, they were walking to his car when she stepped on the railroad track and broke the heel off of one of her shoes. After limping a few steps, Aaron picked her up and carried her the remaining 6 blocks to his car. Vi would say, "he carried me away"! They dated for a while and then one day, Aaron, who had a witty sense of humor, said to her "Hey my rent ain't paid yet, will you marry me?" They were married shortly after in Vanport, WA and then moved back to Watertown in 1945 shortly after WWII. Vi traveled with Aaron, his parents and his uncle. It took them 15 days to make the trip to Watertown as they would stop and camp along the way.
After moving back to Watertown, Vi cleaned for people in the area. Aaron kept up his welding skills as jobs came up for him. The couple also owned a bait shop for 33 years.
Aaron and Vi had one daughter, Scarlett. The couple was married for 52 years before Aaron passed away in 1997.
Vi did many things for her church, Cornerstone Methodist. She was a member of the Kampeska Birthday Club. She and several friends would also get together regularly to exercise. They would walk 8 laps in the mall and then go have breakfast. She enjoyed attending her grandkids sporting events, watching TV and loved Loretta Young. Vi also used to enjoy crocheting. She had a cocker spaniel named Rags, whom she adored.
Vi is survived by her daughter, Scarlett (Ed) DeVries of Watertown, SD; her granddaughter, Laurie (John) Hoffman of Watertown, SD; great-granddaughters, Myriah (Tyler) Buhler of Watertown with their children, Avery and Rhett; Megan (Zach) Crouch of Marcus, IA with their children, Ryker and Bently; and great-grandson, John Jr. (Becca Summers) Hoffman of Watertown, SD with their child, Blaikley.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Aaron; and her brother, William.