Violet Hodnett

Our family would like to thank everyone for the well wishes in our time of change. The Lord has blessed Violet by taking her home on November 16, 2014. Four years ago Grandma asked me why she was still here, which indicated to me that she had been ready for a while. Unfortunately, her health declined and she went into assisted living at Afton Care in June of 2013.

Violet Magdalena Herrboldt was the middle child of three, born in Menno, South Dakota in 1919 to farmers, Edward and Magdalena Herrboldt. They were brought up speaking German and had to learn English in that little one room school house.

In 1936, the family moved to Stillwater, MN on a new farmstead where she met John Hodnett and went on to marry him in 1945. They had three children, Richard, Daniel, and Gale, while moving from place to place until settling on a farm in Grant Township in the 1950's. That would be home until the kids married and moved.

In 1974, Violet and John sold the farm and bought a brand new house in Oak Park Heights. It was here, where her six grandchildren got to know our grandparents, their life lessons and wisdoms. She loved to bake and always had homemade cookies for us. To accompany those cookies, you could often be treated with homemade ice cream.

She was also our hairstylist for many of the early years. We sat on a stool in her basement in front of the large mirror that hung on the wall. There, we heard many stories from her childhood, growing up during the Great Depression. John passed away in 1984 and Violet lived alone in the house for the next 29 years. She traveled to visit her sons who had moved to Iowa and Idaho. She continued her bountiful garden, canning, cooking, and baking. She also loved to sew, rarely would she wear store bought clothes.

Violet is preceded in death by husband, John; son, Richard; parents, Edward and Magdalena; brother, Elmer; and sister, Jean. She is survived by son, Daniel (Sue) Hodnett of Caldwell, ID; daughter-in-law, Jo Ellen Hodnett of Minneola, IA; daughter, Gale (Ray) Hanson of Houlton, WI; grandchildren, Steven (Brenda) Hodnett, Ray Hanson, Crystal (Myron) Severson, Jennifer (Joe) Trout, Matthew (Brandi) Hodnett, Katie (Jonny) Dalluhn; 10 great-grandchildren; brother-in-law, Dewey Farmer of Caldwell, ID; many nieces and nephews and other relatives. Rest in peace. Funeral service Friday, November 21 at 1:00PM at ST. PETER'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 111 E Orleans St, Stillwater. Visitation 1 hour prior to the service at church. Interment Withrow Cemetery. Memorials preferred to St. Peter's United Church of Christ.