Viola I. Shilhanek

Funeral service for Viola I. Shilhanek, 93, of Aberdeen, will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, April 7, 2014, at United Methodist Church in Hecla, SD, with Reverend Gwen Mader officiating. Burial will follow at the Hecla Cemetery.

Visitation will be 3-5 p.m., Sunday, April 6, 2014, at Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary & Crematory, 414 5th Ave NW, Aberdeen, and for one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church.

Viola passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at ManorCare Health Services in Aberdeen.

Viola I. Colestock was born on May 27, 1920, on the family farm east of Hecla to Frank and Ann (Kenny) Colestock. She attended rural school and Hecla High School.

Viola and Roy Shilhanek were united in marriage on June 18, 1937, in Britton, SD. They made their home on a farm near Claremont, SD, and later moved to a farm south of Hecla, where they resided until 1954, at which time they moved into the city of Hecla. In 1976, Viola and Roy began spending the winter months in Texas. They moved to Aberdeen in 1998. Viola became a resident of ManorCare Health Services in 2009 and continued to reside there until the time of her death. In her spare time she loved to play cards.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Roy, in September of 2001, her parents, and two sisters: Irene Gimble and Loretta Pfutzenreuter.

Grateful to have shared in Viola’s life are her children: Lyle Shilhanek of Eden, SD, Laverne (Audrey) Shilhanek of Britton, SD, Melody Ellis of Bend, OR, Harmony (Ron) James of Phoenix, AZ, and Candy (Russ) Brandt of Aberdeen; her grandchildren: Jason and Emile Shilhanek, Kristi Buchin, Kari Fox, Roy Shilhanek, Troy, David, Danny and J.D. Ellis, Allan and Chad James, Lisa Lenling and Heather Wahl: numerous great-grandchildren; several great great-grandchildren; one brother, Bernard (Claudia) Colestock of Hecla, SD; and one sister, Dorothy Gerken of Aberdeen, SD.