Viola Lucille "Ole" Knecht

Houghton - Funeral service for Viola Lucille “Ole” Knecht, 92, of Houghton will be 10 a.m. Saturday, March 1, 2008, at St. John's Lutheran Church, Hecla. Jay Dean Haaland SAM will be officiating. Burial will follow at the Houghton Cemetery. Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, Aberdeen is in charge of arrangements.

A Prayer service will be 6 p.m. Friday at the mortuary in Aberdeen.

Visitation will be 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the mortuary and one hour prior to the service at the church in Hecla Saturday.

Ole passed away Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008, at ManorCare Health Services.

Viola L. Hansen was born March 23, 1915, to Christian and Eva (Woodruff) Hansen near Merill, Iowa.

In 1920. she moved with her family to a farm six miles South of Houghton, S.D., where she was raised, attended rural schools and graduated from Columbia High School.

Ole married Elmer J. Knecht Jan. 27, 1934. They farmed in the Houghton area their entire life. Elmer passed away in 1995. Ole continued to live on the farm until 2006 when she moved to Aberdeen.

Ole worked side by side with her husband on the farm doing the daily chores, planting, harvesting and feeding the animals. She enjoyed working in her garden, sewing, making quilts, woodworking, playing cards and cooking, especially making buns. She would literally cook hundreds of buns at a time for special occasions and events. Ole loved music and could play the piano by ear. Ole especially enjoyed the time spent with her grandchildren, teaching them card games and playing the piano for them.

Surviving Ole are her six children, Don Knecht of Houghton, Karen (Allen) Siefkes of Hecla, Butch (Betty) Knecht of Oakes, N.D., Kathy (Rick) Schulz, of Hecla, Chuck (Denise) Knecht of Houghton, and Karyl (Jeremy) Clay of Winner; 13 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Ole was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, four brothers, one sister, one grandson, Tim Knecht and one daughter-in-law, Doris Knecht.

Pallbearers will be all her grandchildren, Dawn Nipp, Mick Knecht, Pat Knecht, David Siefkes, Dick Siefkes, Dustin Siefkes, Dana Siefkes-Lewis, Corinna Buttke, Melissa Johnson, Curtis Knecht, Erin Knecht, Austin Knecht and Jacob Clay.

Honorary Pallbearer will be Tim Knecht.