Viola Zanders

Viola Evelyn Zanders, 98, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at Salem Lutheran Homes in Elk Horn, Iowa.


Viola was born August 21, 1912, in Greenfield, Iowa, to Arthur and Pearl (Turner) Stone. She attended schools in the Greenfield and Fontanelle area and graduated from Greenfield High School. Viola was united in marriage to Dana Zanders on February 25, 1931, in Anita, Iowa, at her parent's home. Early in their marriage they lived in Nevinville, Iowa, on a 240 acre farm. She later lived in Anita, Iowa, for a year, for 14 years in Fontanelle, Iowa, on a 360 acre farm, Rutland, Iowa, for seven years, and then retired to Atlantic, Iowa, in 1978.


Through her working years, Viola was a homemaker, a grade school teacher at Grand River in Greenfield, a school cook in Rutland and a Sunday School teacher in Anita. Chronologically she was a member of the Nevinville Methodist Church, Anita Bible Church, Oak Hill Baptist Church in Humboldt, Atlantic Evangelical Free Church, and most recently a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Atlantic. Viola had served as a past president of the Women's Club in Rutland.


Some of Viola's favorite hobbies were quilting, crosswords, reading the bible, find-a-word, and most importantly spending time with her family.


Surviving Viola are her children, Richard (Evelyn) Zanders of Bismarck, IL, Paul (Judy) Zanders of Merrillville, IN, Howard (Marge) Zanders of Atwater, CA, Martha (Jay) Frye of Mansfield, TX, Karen (Steve) Christensen of Pine Bluffs, WY, Arthur Zanders of Atlantic, IA and Marian (Garry) Heidt of Atlantic, IA; her grandchildren, June, Eric, Marilyn, Paula, Jennifer, Yvonne, Michelle, Leah, Dawson, Kent, Stacie, Matthew, Duane, Julie, Suzanne, Rebecca, Randy, Rachel, Raynette and Dana; 44 great-grandchildren; 6 great-great-grandchildren; her brother, Lowell Stone of Santee, CA; and her sister, Argyl Nagel of Traer, IA.


Preceding her in death were her husband, Dana Zanders; her parents; her children, Ardeth and Lowell; her son-in-law, Darwin Tarbell; her grandsons, Cliff Zanders and Stephan Gray; and her brothers, Raymond Stone and Claude Stone.


Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 9, 2011, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic. Visitation with family will be one hour prior to service at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic. Burial will be in the Eureka Cemetery south of Adair, Iowa.


In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Salem Lutheran Homes in Elk Horn, Iowa.


Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements