V Viola Pearl McNeill, 97, passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at her residence under hospice care.
A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at Evergreen Cemetery in Vinton.
Viola was born March 17, 1922, in Vinton, Iowa, the daughter of Charles and Effie May Burk Bates. Viola was a baby when her mother passed away and her grandparents raised her. She attended school in Vinton.
On December 30, 1942, she married John R. McNeill in Kahoka, Missouri. He preceded her in death on October 6, 1990.
She worked as a homemaker and was always a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved working in her garden and with flowers. She also loved all animals and loved watching the birds and the butterflies.
Viola was a member of First Christian Church in Vinton.
Viola is survived by her sons: Wayne, Dennis and Robert McNeill, all of Vinton; one grandson; three great-grandsons; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a sister, Adabell; and a half-sister, LaVonne.
Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home is caring for Viola and her family. Condolences may be left at vsrfh.com.
Gerald, Mary and Spencer Bates, Lebanon Junction, Kentucky.