Viola T. Stangl

Viola Stangl, 87-year-old resident of Pierz, MN, passed away on April 12, 2018 at Pierz Villa in Pierz, MN. A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Monday, April 16, at St. Josephs Catholic Church, Pierz, MN with Father Ken Popp officiating. Burial will be at St. Josephs Cemetery in Pierz, MN. Visitation will be Sunday, April 15, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Monday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Emblom-Brenny Funeral Chapel in Pierz. The rosary will be said at 4:30 P.M. on Sunday at the funeral home.

Viola Stangl was born to the late Joseph and Amelia (Weiss) Gross. She grew up in Lastrup and helped her parents on the family farm. Prior to marriage, Viola was a former Miss Lastrup and worked as a nurses aide at St. Josephs hospital in Minneapolis, MN. Viola met her husband Urban at a local dance in Pierz and were united in marriage on September 25, 1951 at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Pierz, Minnesota. The couple raised their four sons and two daughters on the family homestead located 4 miles southeast of Pierz, MN. One of the couples favorite pastimes was playing cards with family and friends and they belonged to several long-term card groups. Viola was a member of St. Josephs Catholic Church and Pierz Christian Women. She enjoyed genealogy, painting, sketching, reading, gardening, and traveling. Viola was a talented singer and yodeler, often entertaining her family and friends with spontaneous performances, including one from an outdoor chalet in the Swiss Alps while vacationing.

Viola is survived by her husband, Urban; 3 children, Laurie of Bloomington, MN, James (Patricia) of Pierz, MN, and Karen of Bloomington, MN; 7 grandchildren, Julie (Dan) Johnson, Michael, Richard (Angela), Brian, Allen, Sarah, and Peter; 5 great-grandchildren, Brady, Abby, Alex, Lydia and Cameron; sisters, Hildegard Cree and Angeline Holzinger; and other relatives and friends.

Viola was preceded in death by her sons, Clyde, Gary and Curtis; siblings and in-laws Victor (Mary) Gross, Alma (John) Wurzer, Regina Kelzenberg, Dennis Cree and George Holzinger; and her parents, Joseph and Amelia Gross.