January 20, 1934 – January 18, 2024
Funeral services for Vi Lillestol, 89, of Mobridge were held January 26, 2024, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mobridge with burial at Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Vi passed away January 18, 2024, at the Oahe Manor in Gettysburg.
Violet Lorraine Middlestead was born on January 20, 1934, to John and Emily (Schneck) Middlestead on a farm near Merricourt, ND.
Vi started school in Washburn, ND and graduated from high school in Hettinger, ND in 1952. In high school she participated in band and was a majorette, baton twirler and cheerleader.
Vi turned 18 in January of her senior year and was adopted by Alfred and Ada Brown so she came to be known as Violet Lois Brown.
After high school, Vi went to Minneapolis to attend the Gale Institute, an airline school. Upon graduation she worked at a loan company, Northwest Phone Company, and the Dunwoody Industrial Institute as a receptionist and switchboard operator. While working in Minneapolis, Vi met Richard Lillestol. They were married October 23, 1954.
In 1958, Dick was offered a job at the Hettinger Candy Company so they moved to Hettinger. In 1959 Dick and Vi decided to strike out on their own and started the Mobridge Candy Company. Vi was the bookkeeper. They moved to Mobridge on January 5, 1959. Dick and Vi had three children: Cynthia, Rondi and Jason.
Dick and Vi joined Trinity Lutheran Church in 1959. Vi was a Sunday School teacher and Bible School teacher. She was Church Work Group Coordinator at Trinity for more than 30 years. She was also a Brownie leader and involved in Jaycee-ettes, election board, bowling, dance club, sewing club, Eastern Star, American Legion Auxiliary, Yelduz Women’s General Auxiliary and the Hi Low Bridge Club. Vi enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, golfing, reading, gardening, making quilts, making candy, and baking.
Vi is survived by her daughters - Cindy (Tom) Dafnis of Mobridge and Rondi (Don) Aberle of Promise; son Jason (Kristin) Lillestol of Brandon; grandchildren Michael Aberle of Mobridge, Katie (James) Hagen of Gettysburg, Jaymie (Duane Mutziger) Lillestol of Salem, Jennifer (William) Wiedmer of Timber Lake, Ethan Aberle of Timber Lake, and Drew (AJ) Lillestol of Brandon; five great-grandchildren: Ashton and Makia Aberle of Mobridge, and Remi, Cora and Wilson Wiedmer of Timber Lake; sister Bertha Hoffman and sister-in-law Jeannine Lillestol; Goddaughter Twyla (Randy) Laufenberg; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Vi was preceded in death by her parents, John and Emily Middlestead; stepfather Adolph Middlestead; her adoptive parents, Alfred and Ada Brown; her husband of 64 years Dick Lillestol; brothers Daniel, Harold and Melvin Middlestead and A.O. Junior “Buster”, Gerald, Lincoln, Robert and James “Jack” Brown; sisters Ruth Brandenburger, Martha Scheneman, Edna Hoff, Ellen Kupfer, Clara Fiechtner, Viola Lukacik, Delores Brown, Darlene Fregien, and Lois Brown; nine sisters-in-law and 12 brothers-in-law.
(Rondi Aberle’s address is HC 30 Box 28, Mobridge, SD 57601.)