Violet J. Arionus, 79, of Dell Rapids, formerly of Trent, passed away on Monday, April 29, 2013 at the Dells Area Health Center. Her funeral service will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2013 in the Kahler Funeral Home Chapel. Inurment will be held at a later date. Visitation will begin at noon on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at Kahler Funeral Home with the family present at 6:00 p.m.
Violet J. Westerman was born on October 3, 1933 on a farm in rural Dell Rapids, the daughter of Fred and Kate (Fischer) Westerman. She grew up and attend country school east of Dell Rapids. She moved with her family into Dell Rapids and graduated from Dell Rapids High School in 1951. She worked at Stogies Cafe in Dell Rapids. She married Leland Arionus on February 17, 1953 in Pipestone, MN. The couple made their home on a farm in rural Trent before moving into Trent and then Sioux Falls. In 1966, they moved to Wausau, WI where Vi worked at Kraft Foods until her and Leland bought and ran LeeVi’s Evergreen Club. In 1981, they moved back to Trent. Vi started working at the Odd Fellows Home as a nursing assistant and then baked pies for her cousin Marcie Ellingson at the Dells Bowl. She then went to work as a cook for the Dell Rapids School District retiring in 1999. Leland passed away in 2002.
Vi was a member of the Trent Study Club and loved her Green Bay Packers.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her grandson, Christopher, two sisters, Shirley Westerman and Mildred Perschey and her brother, James Westerman.
She is survived by her son, Robert J. Arionus of Pollock, LA; her daughters, Angyla (Robert) Lewis and Tonya Grimes both of Trent; her grandchildren, Nathan Lewis, Amanda Grimes, Adam Grimes, Harold Grimes III, Samantha (Gridley) Hoover and Andrew Gridley and her six great grandchildren.