- Date Of Birth: August 23, 1915
- Date Of Death: September 2, 2009
- State: Minnesota
Viola Ollila died Wednesday, September 2, 2009, in Duluth of complications of old age, aged 94. She was a native of northern Minnesota, born August 23, 1915 to Karri “Kate” and Matt Lehtinen in Vermilion Lake Township. Life was not always easy for Viola. She grew up on small somewhat isolated farms near Winton (just east of Highway #77), near Pfeiffer Lake (close to Lehtinen creek that was named after her father) and on Highway #1 a few miles West of the bridge over the Pike River. Her parents, one brother, two sisters, and Viola had to walk several miles to get the mail, groceries, and go to school. Finnish was mainly spoken at home and farm work took up much of her spare time. The girls trapped mink and sold the pelts to earn money for clothes. After attending school for eight grades, she worked at various jobs cooking and cleaning at Crane and Vermilion Lake resorts until her marriage to Oliver Ollila in 1936. Three children followed: Lloyd, Marcella “Marcie”, and Priscilla “Pat”. After five years of marriage in 1941, Oliver left for Alaska and the two were divorced in 1946. Viola was left with little means to raise and provide for her three young children. She worked at various restaurants in Duluth and Minneapolis for the rest of her working years. Plagued by bouts of illness, she did the best she could. She was always proud of her children, dedicated her life to the needs of her family, encouraging them to get a good education. In her later years she began painting and won a prize for one of her pictures of an old barn. She was proud of her Finnish heritage and one of the highlights of her later years was a trip to Finland. She followed the lives of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren with pleasure and interest, celebrating their many accomplishments with pictures of them displayed prominently in her apartments and extended care room. She will be remembered by many for her cooking – her unbeatable chicken and wild rice, liver and onions, and banana cream pie.
Although Viola suffered many tough times in her life, she always maintained an optimistic attitude, a willingness to work hard, and a passionate devotion to her family. We extend our gracious thanks for the many acts of kindness of her nieces, nephews and relatives and the staff of Bayshore Manor for their incredible care and support.
Survivors left to remember her fondly include her three children – Dr. Lloyd Ollila (Kathy) of Victoria, BC, Canada and Lake Vermilion, Marcella “Marcie” Moe (Walt) of Lake Vermilion, Priscilla “Pat” Cozzi of Duluth, six grandchildren, Ann Leiter, Janet Moe, Michael Moe, Penny Nunes, Jerry Cozzi, John Cozzi; ten great grandchildren; several nieces Pat Karich, Cathy Carlson, Bonnie Harma, Connie Childs, two grand nieces and five grand nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents: Matt and Kate Lehtinen, her brother: Valentine “Valen”; her sisters: Esther (Harma) Wiljamaa and Siri Peterson and her Nephew: Barry Lehtinen.
