In Memory of

Violet

Mary

Tank

(Kreiser)

Obituary for Violet Mary Tank (Kreiser)

Violet Tank of Melville passed away Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at the age of 86 years.

Violet Mary was born on December 6, 1931, at the family farm near Grayson, SK. She was the seventh child of Lorenz F. and Theresa (Hoffman) Kreiser. She was baptised, received first communion and was confirmed at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Grayson. Violet attended Flegel School for nine years. The school was about one mile away from home, and she mostly walked or rode in horse and buggy.

Growing up on the family farm, Violet learned many skills, especially bareback horse riding, working with the horses and harnessing them. Growing up in a large family, she also learned about the outdoors, working together and surviving in the 1930s.

Violet worked at St. Peter’s Hospital in Melville, SK, as a nurses aide from 1958-1960, and she met her husband, Ivor, while he was a patient having knee surgery. Her work in healthcare would later continue with 17 years of service with Melville home care.

Violet and Ivor were united in marriage on July 6, 1960, at St. Mary’s in Grayson. She worked alongside her husband milking cows, raising sheep, chickens, ducks and turkeys and gardening. Violet and Ivor were blessed with two children, Donna Marie and William Lawrence. April 1,1970, was a sad day when Annette was born and died in infancy.

One of Violet’s significant accomplishments was being a 4-H leader for horses, where her daughter and son belonged; she enjoyed taking them to fairs and watching them win ribbons and trophies. Another one was learning to use the computer at age 70 so she could type her Christmas letters. Violet’s fondest memories included the birth of her children and watching them grow, the birth of her granddaughters, Kimberly and Kelly, her grandson, William Daniel IV, and her great-granddaughter, Charli.

Violet had many hobbies and interests including gardening, baking cookies, decorating cakes, sewing, quilting, crocheting, photo quilts and cushions and making candy and chocolates. She also enjoyed museums and fairs. Violet also was a big hockey fan after she started watching the NHL in 1996 during recovery from a torn rotator cuff.

Devotions were important to Violet; she joined the Rosary Sodality in 1999. She also was instrumental in restoring the children’s Section D at St. Henry’s Cemetery in 1991; she wanted every child to have a headstone. Father Rocky gave her access to registers to find dates and names. Every child in Sections A to C from 1906-1922 now has a stone; Section E where unborn children were buried was also restored and blessed by Father Rocky. He also wanted to restore Saxon Hill (St. Stephen’s) on highway 47 north, so she helped with names and dates. She stayed on this project until all areas were complete.

Family was very important to Violet, and she made many memories on family gatherings, trips and outings. She wanted to be remembered for the times she planned get-togethers with the whole family, family trips, cooking meals for family gatherings and taking pictures of special occasions. Her message to family and friends is not to weep, remember I will always love you and think of all the good times we always had.

Violet leaves to mourn: her daughter Donna, husband Ken, granddaughters Kimberly and Kelly (husband Scott and great-granddaughter Charli); her son “Bill” William Lawrence III, his son William Daniel IV and three adopted children Jennifer, Chelsea and Brendon; her brothers Jacob and Larry, sister Teresa and brother-in-law Paul.

Violet was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, William Ivor, on September 22, 2014; infant daughter Annette on April 1, 1970; granddaughter Kathleen Bucsis, June 1994; her father, Lorenz, 1977; and her mother, Theresa, 1985; brothers William in infancy, Adam and John; sisters Elizabeth in infancy, Mary, Elsie and Elliss; sisters-in-law Ella Kreiser, Eva Tank, Alvina Gorecki, Elsie Stein, Olga Stewart, Ida Knoof, Ethel Tank and Evelyn Kellet; brothers-in-law Karl Tank, Pete Gorecki, Phil Stein, Ed Young, George Kellett, John Young, Jim Steward, Bob Knoof and Adam Rieger.