Viola Hokenson

Viola L. Hokenson (nee Horelica) died in her sleep March 3, 2023, at age 97. 

A memorial service is pending. 

Her ashes will be buried with her husband’s at the Minnesota State Veteran’s Cemetery at Fort Ripley.

Vi grew up in rural southeast Texas in the area of Wharton. In 1942 at 17 she was managing a cafe in Texas City when a young soldier from Minnesota walked in. Before he shipped out to North Africa two weeks later, they had fallen in love and Vi soon moved to Minneapolis to await Hokie’s return.

Vi and Hokie were married in Minneapolis in 1944 when Hokie returned from the war. Terry, Ralph and Lee were born there. The family moved to Texas in 1953 and lived near Viola’s family for seven years. Larry was born there shortly before the family returned to Minnesota in 1960. Terry, Ralph and Lee graduated from Staples High School in 1966, 1967 and 1968; Larry in 1977. 

In 1975 Vi and Hokie bought a 50-acre tree farm near Browerville,where many weddings, anniversaries, holidays and gatherings were celebrated. Vi kept a huge garden that she guarded from the wood chucks with a 22. Hokie died in 1994; Vi stayed on the farm until 1998, when she moved to St. Francis, north of Anoka. She moved to assisted living in Coon Rapids in 2016 and to Main Street Lodge of Catholic Eldercare in Minneapolis in March 2020, for whose loving and competent eldercare community we are deeply grateful. 

Viola loved travel, family camping, fishing and deer hunting, picking wild berries and fruits, collecting agates, growing a big garden and throngs of flowers, writing letters and cards, playing games with friends and relatives. She smiled and laughed a lot, was loyal and generous to friends and family.

She is survived by four sons, Terry, Ralph, Lee and Larry; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren, one sister, Juliann Parker and many nieces and nephews. 

Known as “Vi” to husband and friends and “Tutsie” to her Texas Czech family, she was preceded in death by husband, Maurice (“Hokie”); one infant son and four of her five siblings

-Submitted by Terry Hokenson, terryhokn@gmail. com.

              w26p  A00006B2023JU21