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Viola 'Vi' Dedman, 96

Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 8 years, 9 months AGO
| April 15, 2016 6:00 AM

Viola Dedman, 96, passed away Tuesday, April 13, at Bee Hive Homes in Columbia Falls.

She was born February 19, 1920, Viola Luetta Childers to William H. and Bessie Thomas Childers in Whitefish.

Vi learned to cook when she took her first job cooking for ranch hands. “I was lucky,” she said, “the ranch hands were so hungry they would eat anything.” With the coaching from her mother, Vi became a wonderful cook. You could stop in at dinner time, and she always had enough.

When Herb and Vi first moved to Bigfork, they bought and ran Darrys Marina, now the Sitting Duck. In the beginning of their new business, they lived above in the apartment. The noise became too much. Even on their days off they still heard the restaurant and bar patrons. They bought a single-wide mobile home to get away from the noise.

In their first years there, they had lots of company. One summer, everyone decided to come visit at the same time. For over a week, they had 24 guests at one time. It was one long party, and “Mom” loved it. The more, the merrier, she always said.

Vi lived for her family and her cards. She loved playing any type of game. Vi taught all of her children and grandchildren to play cribbage. She put twigs and rocks together with the grandchildren and made rock families. She was the only person in the family who could not swim, and guess who was always asked to take the kids swimming: Vi. She lived a good life and enjoyed her family and friends.

When Herb and Viola first moved to Billings, Vi, walking with her four little kids, tried to find a house or apartment to rent. No one wanted to rent to anyone with kids. They had walked all day and finally came to a grocery store called Mrs. Wright’s. They went in and Vi asked Mrs Wright if she knew of anyone who would rent to her family. Mrs. Wright sent her to see a Mr. Leeper, who had a house. They went to see Mr. Leeper, who had a house for sale. Vi said, “But I don’t have any money.” When she and the kids walked away, she had bought their first house for $5.00 down and $5.00 a month.

When Herb came back from his bus-driving job and she told him she bought a house, he thought she was nuts, but boy was he proud to own a house. It is still lived in today. It is very small now and Herb and Viola added on to the original house, even a two car garage.

Herb was gone on another run for Greyhound when it started to get cold, and the new addition did not have a roof on it. Well, Viola (afraid of heights) put the roof on that house all by herself, with the kids running around down below.

There are many such stories. She was quite a remarkable woman. “We will miss her.”

Viola was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Herbert Dedman; a son, Roy; and two grandsons, Donald and Richard.

She is survived by two daughters, Maxine McGowan of Elk Grove, California, and Hazel Ann Conway, of Woods Bay; a son, Lyle Dedman, of El Segundo California; grandchildren, Roy, Gary, Shawn, Jennifer, Rich and Cathrine; great-grandchildren, Jacob, Britney, Lacy, Ethan, Donald, Dean, Angela, Bella, Ryan, Nora; and several great-great-grandchildren.

There will be a celebration of life get-together from 1 to 3 p.m. on April 19 at the Raven, 15321 Montana 35, Woods Bay. If you would like to come, please call Hazel at 837-0269.

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