Obituaries : Viola Kolars

Viola Kolars, 99, of Belle Plaine, IA passed away May 11, 2021 at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Viola was the daughter of Frank and Tillie (Valek) Krhounek. She was born on July 25, 1921 on the farm near Wayne, KS; the youngest of five children. Viola attended White and Eureka Country schools in Kansas. She often talked about walking to school in all sorts of weather and, being the youngest, would lag behind. She had to carry her books and "dinner bucket". If she wasn't careful, her plums would leak and soak her lunch and all she had to eat was plums. Viola always talked about life in the "rock house" south of Cuba, KS. She was afraid of the "gypsies" who passed by occasionally but said her mother always shared food with them.

Viola was united in marriage to Ben W. Kolars on October 9, 1940, at the Republic County Court House in Belleville, KS. They lived in rural Cuba, KS before moving to rural Chelsea, IA in 1956. They were married for almost 50 years before Ben's death in 1990.

She lived on a farm all her life before moving to an apartment in Belle Plaine, IA in 2000. She loved everything about the farm and even enjoyed mowing the lawn. She raised chickens and a big garden of vegetables and flowers. She enjoyed canning and freezing the produce. She was a member of H.D.U. Homemakers and American Legion Auxiliary in Haddam, KS.

Viola and Ben enjoyed spending time together, working and otherwise. She would tell us how they would get cleaned up, go to Dick's Restaurant for supper, get groceries, and get home in time to watch JR on TV.

In 1994, Viola made a two-week trip to the Czech Republic to visit relatives and saw where her father was born and raised in Stupno.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Ben; 3 sisters, Matilda Kolars of Cuba KS, Lillian Kolars of Linn, KS, Olive Popelka of Belle Plaine, IA; brother, Adolph Krhounek of Elberon, IA; and son-in-law, Richard Cernin of Elberon.

Viola is survived by children, Larry (Jane) of Chelsea, Shirley Cernin of Elberon, and Carl (Mary Jane) of Marshalltown, IA; 9 grandchildren, James and Michael (Stacey) Kolars, Shelley (Scot) Taylor, Deborah (Rick Mohrfeld) Cernin, Matthew (Maria) Cernin, Jennifer (Patrick) Rupp, Benjamin (Christina) Kolars, Todd (Misty) Kolars, and Samuel (Kate) Kolars; great-grandchildren, Riley (Carl Busch), Blake, Mason and Darien Taylor, Logan and Cale Dvorak, Cooper, Charlie and Sophia Cernin, Stella and Lyla Rupp, Jakin, Savannah, Alisabeth and Lillian Kolars, Vanessa Schneider, Dallas Strasser, Titus, McKenna and Asher Kolars, Hannah and Caden Kolars, Lily and Olivia Krohn; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral service is 11:00 a.m. Saturday May 15, 2021 at Hrabak-Neuhaus Funeral Service, Belle Plaine with visitation one hour prior. Service will also be livestreamed through the funeral service Facebook page. Pastor Ben J. Kolars will be officiating. Burial will take place at National Cemetery, Vining, IA.

Memorials may be directed to the family. Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.neuhausfuneralservice.com