Rosa Viola Ala was born to Finnish parents Laura and Isaac Ala in a log cabin in the woods of Jens, Montana September 26, 1919. Her father at the time was a handsome miner of bright mind in Butte, Montana and her mother was then and always tough enough to meet the challenges of a tough life with grace and an artist’s heart and talents.
The family moved to South Dakota where, Vi, the oldest eventually of four children, grew up knowing Finn as her first language and farm life as a gift and perhaps a hardship – though she never spoke of it as such. Her sisters Mabel and Elsie, her brother Alvin, and her five nieces and nephews have many fond memories of times together on the Whitewood, SD farm – hard work during the day, incredibly good food from the land and animals prepared on the wood stove. Saturday saunas were wonderful! No indoor showers in the main house and the sauna house was separate and old style as was the laundry house which never sported updated washers and dryers, only the ringer washer. The laundry hung outdoors to dry year round.
Vi’s one room schoolhouse was on the family farm. She really did ride a horse through snow to school! She roomed away from home to go to high school in Sturgis, SD and then, after getting her teaching degree and proudly working for the Coast Guard in World War II, she returned to the same one room schoolhouse as its teacher…with brother Alvin as one of her students.
From there, Miss Vi continued to teach, receiving a masters degree, and a school counselor certificate. She moved and remained near and dear to her sister Elsie and Elsie’s family in the late 1960’s.
Well into her 80’s she continued to volunteer in schools and could walk two 10K volkswalks in a day.
She was never married and had no children of her own, but she was loved by hundreds of schoolchildren through the years.
Grand nephews Dan and Ian were able, living close to her for 30+ years, to bring out her soft and silly side.
Viola passed away peacefully on August 18, 2014 at A Kind Heart assisted living/nursing home in Lynnwood, WA having dealt stoically and without complaint her body’s increasing inability to do her bidding and her mind’s increasing inability to remember what she wanted to say. She did often remember, however, exactly what she wanted to say. On one of niece Penny’s last visits before Vi passed away, Penny bragged laughingly about some accomplishment saying “I did good, Aunti Vi”! Miss Vi replied with a smile; “You did well”! Ever the teacher extraordinaire!
Nakemiin (Finnish for ‘til we meet again) dear Vi. We love you….
The family moved to South Dakota where, Vi, the oldest eventually of four children, grew up knowing Finn as her first language and farm life as a gift and perhaps a hardship – though she never spoke of it as such. Her sisters Mabel and Elsie, her brother Alvin, and her five nieces and nephews have many fond memories of times together on the Whitewood, SD farm – hard work during the day, incredibly good food from the land and animals prepared on the wood stove. Saturday saunas were wonderful! No indoor showers in the main house and the sauna house was separate and old style as was the laundry house which never sported updated washers and dryers, only the ringer washer. The laundry hung outdoors to dry year round.
Vi’s one room schoolhouse was on the family farm. She really did ride a horse through snow to school! She roomed away from home to go to high school in Sturgis, SD and then, after getting her teaching degree and proudly working for the Coast Guard in World War II, she returned to the same one room schoolhouse as its teacher…with brother Alvin as one of her students.
From there, Miss Vi continued to teach, receiving a masters degree, and a school counselor certificate. She moved and remained near and dear to her sister Elsie and Elsie’s family in the late 1960’s.
Well into her 80’s she continued to volunteer in schools and could walk two 10K volkswalks in a day.
She was never married and had no children of her own, but she was loved by hundreds of schoolchildren through the years.
Grand nephews Dan and Ian were able, living close to her for 30+ years, to bring out her soft and silly side.
Viola passed away peacefully on August 18, 2014 at A Kind Heart assisted living/nursing home in Lynnwood, WA having dealt stoically and without complaint her body’s increasing inability to do her bidding and her mind’s increasing inability to remember what she wanted to say. She did often remember, however, exactly what she wanted to say. On one of niece Penny’s last visits before Vi passed away, Penny bragged laughingly about some accomplishment saying “I did good, Aunti Vi”! Miss Vi replied with a smile; “You did well”! Ever the teacher extraordinaire!
Nakemiin (Finnish for ‘til we meet again) dear Vi. We love you….
Rosa Viola Ala was born to Finnish parents Laura and Isaac Ala in a log cabin in the woods of Jens, Montana September 26, 1919. Her father at the time was a handsome miner of bright mind in Butte, Montana and her mother was then and always tough enough to meet the challenges of a tough life with grace and an artist’s heart and talents.
The family moved to South Dakota where, Vi, the oldest eventually of four children, grew up knowing Finn as her first language and farm life as a gift and perhaps a hardship – though she never spoke of it as such. Her sisters Mabel and Elsie, her brother Alvin, and her five nieces and nephews have many fond memories of times together on the Whitewood, SD farm – hard work during the day, incredibly good food from the land and animals prepared on the wood stove. Saturday saunas were wonderful! No indoor showers in the main house and the sauna house was separate and old style as was the laundry house which never sported updated washers and dryers, only the ringer washer. The laundry hung outdoors to dry year round.
Vi’s one room schoolhouse was on the family farm. She really did ride a horse through snow to school! She roomed away from home to go to high school in Sturgis, SD and then, after getting her teaching degree and proudly working for the Coast Guard in World War II, she returned to the same one room schoolhouse as its teacher…with brother Alvin as one of her students.
From there, Miss Vi continued to teach, receiving a masters degree, and a school counselor certificate. She moved and remained near and dear to her sister Elsie and Elsie’s family in the late 1960’s.
Well into her 80’s she continued to volunteer in schools and could walk two 10K volkswalks in a day.
She was never married and had no children of her own, but she was loved by hundreds of schoolchildren through the years.
Grand nephews Dan and Ian were able, living close to her for 30+ years, to bring out her soft and silly side.
Viola passed away peacefully on August 18, 2014 at A Kind Heart assisted living/nursing home in Lynnwood, WA having dealt stoically and without complaint her body’s increasing inability to do her bidding and her mind’s increasing inability to remember what she wanted to say. She did often remember, however, exactly what she wanted to say. On one of niece Penny’s last visits before Vi passed away, Penny bragged laughingly about some accomplishment saying “I did good, Aunti Vi”! Miss Vi replied with a smile; “You did well”! Ever the teacher extraordinaire!
Nakemiin (Finnish for ‘til we meet again) dear Vi. We love you….
The family moved to South Dakota where, Vi, the oldest eventually of four children, grew up knowing Finn as her first language and farm life as a gift and perhaps a hardship – though she never spoke of it as such. Her sisters Mabel and Elsie, her brother Alvin, and her five nieces and nephews have many fond memories of times together on the Whitewood, SD farm – hard work during the day, incredibly good food from the land and animals prepared on the wood stove. Saturday saunas were wonderful! No indoor showers in the main house and the sauna house was separate and old style as was the laundry house which never sported updated washers and dryers, only the ringer washer. The laundry hung outdoors to dry year round.
Vi’s one room schoolhouse was on the family farm. She really did ride a horse through snow to school! She roomed away from home to go to high school in Sturgis, SD and then, after getting her teaching degree and proudly working for the Coast Guard in World War II, she returned to the same one room schoolhouse as its teacher…with brother Alvin as one of her students.
From there, Miss Vi continued to teach, receiving a masters degree, and a school counselor certificate. She moved and remained near and dear to her sister Elsie and Elsie’s family in the late 1960’s.
Well into her 80’s she continued to volunteer in schools and could walk two 10K volkswalks in a day.
She was never married and had no children of her own, but she was loved by hundreds of schoolchildren through the years.
Grand nephews Dan and Ian were able, living close to her for 30+ years, to bring out her soft and silly side.
Viola passed away peacefully on August 18, 2014 at A Kind Heart assisted living/nursing home in Lynnwood, WA having dealt stoically and without complaint her body’s increasing inability to do her bidding and her mind’s increasing inability to remember what she wanted to say. She did often remember, however, exactly what she wanted to say. On one of niece Penny’s last visits before Vi passed away, Penny bragged laughingly about some accomplishment saying “I did good, Aunti Vi”! Miss Vi replied with a smile; “You did well”! Ever the teacher extraordinaire!
Nakemiin (Finnish for ‘til we meet again) dear Vi. We love you….
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