Viola Doehla

VIOLA E. DOEHLA

Coralville

Viola E. Doehla, 101, passed away Friday, July 12, 2019, at Lantern Park Specialty Care/Care Initiatives in Coralville. Graveside services will begin at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, at St. John's Cemetery in Fenton. A Celebration of Viola's life

will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 30, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Iowa City. Her family will greet friends after

10 a.m. at the church that day. The family will host a luncheon immediately following the service. Memorials may be directed to the Viola E. Doehla memorial fund.

She was born April 11, 1918, to Clara (Bierstedt) Mueller and Ferdinand Mueller III in Fenton, Iowa, the oldest of four children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Arley; brothers, Everett and Ferdinand IV; and sister, Delores Christensen.

Viola attended the lower elementary grades at Fenton Public School and the upper elementary grades at St. John's Lutheran Parochial School in Fenton. She was confirmed on May 15, 1932, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Fenton. Viola graduated from Fenton High School in May 1936. She attended Iowa State Teacher's College (now known as the University of Northern Iowa) at Cedar Falls and received her degree in elementary education. She taught in schools in Graettinger, Randalia and Primghar, totaling nine years.

In 1946 she took a teaching job in Primghar, where she met Arley Doehla in church. On Aug. 31, 1947, they were united in marriage in Fenton and then settled on a farm outside of Primghar. Viola taught elementary school in Primghar until 1948 and spent the next years raising two daughters. In 1971, she became the elementary librarian at Primghar Community Schools for 22 years. She retired from education in June 1995. She received a plaque from the governor of Iowa for her years of service in the Primghar School Library.

After retirement, Viola continued to be active in various clubs, including Women's Club and its auxiliary Book & Travel Club, Rosedale Club (women from Dale county township) and Grace Lutheran Church Ladies Aid and Circle, where she served as president for numerous years.

Viola's interests involved reading, gardening, handiwork, music and baking. Over the years, she prepared many meals for families and farm workers. She served as 4-H leader for several years. She took great delight in following the activities and travels of her grandchildren and adored all of her great-grandchildren.

Viola and Arley farmed until 1992 when they moved into Primghar. Arley passed away suddenly on June 23, 1995, of a heart attack. Viola relocated to Legacy Pointe Assisted Living in Iowa City on Oct. 29, 2011. In February 2017, Viola moved to Lantern Park Specialty Care/Care Initiatives after needing specialized care.

She is survived by her daughters, Charlene Elbert (Glenn) of Coralville and Marcia Strom (Steve) of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; four grandsons, Eric Elbert (Melissa), Evan Elbert (Emily), Scott Strom (Mandy) and Matt Strom (Alison); and great-grandchildren, Lydia Elbert, Henry Elbert, Ann Louise Elbert, Emma Elbert, Andrew Elbert, Benjamin Elbert, Sloane Strom and Ellie Grace Strom.