Viola Marie Arend

Viola Marie Arend East Lansing Viola Marie Sanderson Arend of East Lansing and Brooklyn, Michigan completed her mission on earth on December 3, 2010. She was born on April 25, 1913 in Willis, Michigan to William Edward Sanderson and Anna Barbara Brenner Sanderson. Her brothers, Leon John, George Edward, Carl Jay and sister, Hazel Anna Sanderson Kelsey have all preceded her in death. Her husband John Lewis Arend also preceded her in death after 71 years of marriage. Viola attended Grass Lake High School and Hamilton Business College in Ann Arbor. Viola was the personal secretary for the City Attorney of Ann Arbor. In 1932, she was crowned in a city-wide beauty contest as the most beautiful young lady in Ann Arbor. Her beauty and pleasant personality remained with her all her life. On June 20, 1937, she married John Lewis Arend of Saline, Michigan, who was a University of Michigan graduate. She then made a lifetime career of being a loving wife, homemaker, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She moved across the country following her husband's career. They had ten different addresses until they settled in East Lansing, Michigan in 1949. Viola and John had four children: Ann Marie Arend (Paul) Bohman of Dublin, Ohio, Lewis William (Elizabeth) of Houston, Texas, Lee John (Debra) of Chelsea, Michigan, and Joyce Viola Arend (Steven) McGarry of Holt, Michigan. Viola has ten grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She was an active member of University Lutheran Church in East Lansing for over 50 years. Viola was an active volunteer in many organizations: American Legion Auxiliary Post 205 (past president), Reserved Officers Auxiliary, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Morley Post 701 Ladies Auxiliary (life-time member), her son Lewis' Theta Chi Fraternity Mother Club (past president), East Lansing Woman's Club, Presidents Club and University Club of Michigan State University. She joined her husband as a member of the Civil War Preservation Trust to save Civil War battlefields. Funeral Services will be Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 2:00p.m. at University Lutheran Church, 1020 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing with Pastor Martin Halom officiating. Interment will follow in Deepdale Memorial Park. Visitation will begin Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at the church, beginning at 1:00p.m.. Memorials may be made to University Lutheran Church in memory of Viola. Condolences can be made at www.palmerbush.com.