Viola (Graf) Kiemele, age 96, formerly of Linton, ND, went to be with her Lord and Savior on September 3, 2015 at the Baptist Health Care Center, Bismarck, ND. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at First Baptist Church, Linton with Rev. Paul Brannan officiating. Burial will be in Linton Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, September 7, 2015 at Myers Funeral Home, Linton, where a prayer service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue for one hour before time of service on Tuesday.Viola Christine Graf was born October 6, 1918, to Karl and Eva (Ochsner) Graf in Kimiah, Idaho. Vi was the third of six children. Her family moved to the Temvik area when she was 3. A couple of years later they moved to Linton where she attended both grade school and high school, graduating from Linton High School in 1937. During and after high school, she worked for Kremer Motors and then for Christy Lynn's Dress Shop where her style-oriented ambitions took root. On August 4, 1940, she married Jacob Kiemele, and in 1946 they purchased Christy's Dress Shop which became the Willows Store. For the next 52 years they owned and operated the Willows Store. Vi and Jake kept very busy in the community and were heavily involved in the First Baptist Church of Linton, where Vi served in many capacities, including the choir and as choir director, Women's Missionary Society, and as a Sunday school teacher for many decades. Even at age 75, she was leading the young people's group at the church. Her relationship with the Lord was the foundation of her entire life. Vi's love of life was serving others, and she loved to entertain her many friends in her home. Her coffee parties were world renowned, and it was always a joy for those who attended them. She loved to entertain and it showed. Her cooking and baking were stylish, too, as her experiments always seemed to turn out great. Kuchen, caramel rolls, borscht, and donuts were some of her family's and guests' favorites. Coffee and chocolate were always "on" and anyone and everyone was welcome. Although she always said she never inherited her mother's sewing prowess, she was an artist. She painted and supplied her family with all of their Christmas and Easter decorations via her work with elaborate ceramic pieces. Thanks to Johnny Carson, she crocheted many afghans and did meticulous needle work, including hardinger. She had a sense of humor that was engaging, and everyone enjoyed being around her. She was also proud to be an American and that she was able to vote in 19 presidential elections.After Jake passed away in 2000, she lived alone in their house of 71 years until she entered an assisted living apartment in Linton in 2011 at the age of 93. On Christmas day of 2013 she had a stroke and then entered the Baptist Health Care Center in January of 2014. Her caregivers there loved her as family and she them likewise. On December 5th, 2014, she repeated her favorite saying to her nursing home family: "There is a destiny that makes us brothers. None goes his way alone. What we put into the lives of others comes back into our own." She said she learned that as an 8th grader. Grateful to have shared her life are: son Mark (Carol) Kiemele of Colorado Springs, CO, daughter Kerry Mattila of Bloomington, MN; four grandchildren: Kyle Kiemele of Boston, MA, Lauren (Kyle) Vanderlinden of Colorado Springs, CO, Morgan Mattila of Bloomington, MN, and Max Mattila of Marshall, MN; great grandson Marek Vanderlinden; sisters Lila Addington of Bismarck, ND and Dorinda Lindvall of LaJolla, CA. Vi was preceded in death by her husband Jake, her parents, two sisters (Alma Fisher and Irene Potter), and one brother (Harold Graf).