Viola Solberg

Viola Pearl Solberg, 98, formerly of the Town of Easton, passed away peacefully August 19, 2021, at Peabody Manor care facility in Appleton, WI.

Viola was born August 30, 1922, on the family farm in the Town of Easton to Hans and Eliza (Thorpe) Nelson, and was a graduate of Wausau East High School, Lutheran Bible Institute, and Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN.  During World War II she worked making rubber raincoats for the war effort and later worked as a bank teller, parish worker and social worker.

She married Oliver Solberg on August 30, 1948, at Bethany Lutheran Church in the Town of Easton.  Following Oliver’s ordination in 1952, the couple served Lutheran parishes in and near Crystal Lake, Iowa, Mt. Horeb, WI, La Crosse, WI, Racine, WI, Mondovi, WI, and Harlan, IA, as well as other Wausau area churches during retirement.  In retirement, Viola rejoined the congregation of her youth, Bethany Lutheran Church.

Mrs. Solberg was a devout Christian, gifted with hospitality, delicious cooking, and quiet service, welcoming others with a simple cup of coffee with sweets, a dinner table presented with festive color, or a fine Christmas spread, complete with Norwegian baked treats.

Surviving are three daughters: Sharon (Jeffrey) Morgan of Appleton, WI, Sandra (Michael) Hoversten of Champlin, MN, and Susan (Rod) Resheske of Oconomowoc, WI; and one son, Steve Solberg of Ishpeming, MI; 10 grandchildren: Heather Morgan, Christa (Jonathan) Neff, Elias (Nicole) Hoversten, Joseph Hoversten, Noah (Jessica) Hoversten, Nicholas (Mari) Resheske, Jonathan (Jessica) Resheske, Natasha (Christopher) Kostrewa, Anna Solberg, and Sara Solberg; nine great-grandchildren; one sister, Joyce Simonson; one brother-in-law, Art Solberg; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her son, Steven James; her great-grandson, Tyson Kestrewa; her daughter-in-law, Marcia Solberg; her siblings George Nelson, Ruth Grade, Esther Haug, Chester Nelson, Carl Nelson, Grace Hanson, Stanley Nelson, June Radtke, Kenneth Nelson, and Eleanora Berg; and other loved ones.

Viola’s family extends a special thank you to the staff at Peabody Manor and ThedaCare Hospice for their wonderful and compassionate care provided over the past years.

Memorial contributions may be directed in her memory to Bethany Lutheran Church.

Funeral Service will be 1:00pm Sunday, August 29 at Bethany Lutheran Church of Easton. Visitation will begin at 12:00 noon. Interment will be in the Bethany Lutheran Church Cemetery.