Mrs. Vivian Viv L. Arends Childers

Vivian L. Childers was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Vivian was born on April 14, 1925 at in her home in Bottineau, North Dakota. Her parents were Henry and Stella Arends. Vivian was raised in Rapid City, South Dakota. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Childers household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Vivian was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Vivian was raised with nine siblings. She had seven sisters, Marion, Hattie, Carolyn, Shirley, Helen, Gena and Leeta. Two brothers, Don and Orville. Vivian was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Vivian and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Vivian was always consistently loyal to her family.

As a young child, Vivian was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Vivian developed a variety of interests, though, and the things she enjoyed doing she did well. She was always curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. In her spare time she enjoyed cooking and taking care of her seven sisters. However, what Vivian enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Vivian as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She graduated from Rapid City High School in 1942. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Vivian was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Vivian always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Vivian was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during her life. Since she disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw her own conclusions based on direct observation, Vivian was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew her. She was committed to her friends and valued the trust she placed in them. It was not uncommon for Vivian to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, her best friend was Esther Fitch. Later in life, she became friends with Sharon Neal and June Antanassio.

On March 31, 1973 Vivian exchanged wedding vows with James Robert Childers. At the Baptist Church of San Lorenzo, California. Compassionate and devoted to James, Vivian held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. She was previously married to James Edward Lukens. James passed April 5, 1971. She took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it her total commitment. She was a source of strength to James and using her gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, she worked hard to make her new family happy.

Vivian brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Vivian was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Vivian was blessed with 6 children, two sons, Richard and David and four daughters, Marjorie, Linda, Karen and Jennifer.

Vivian greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Vivian enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Vivian was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was as Supply Systems and Funds Management. She was a government employee in the Supply Systems division in California, Okinawa and Hawaii. Vivian worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Vivian found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, she could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. She applauded those who won, and she enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find herself wrapped up in those details. She would watch her favorite sporting events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were baseball games.

As a woman who always showed great commitment to the things she believed in, it’s little wonder that Vivian was so active in her community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Vivian preferred to base her decisions on first-hand experiences. Vivian was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig right in. Politically, Vivian was a conservative who strongly believes our laws should be obeyed.

Vivian was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a Lutheran for 20 years. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them. Vivian enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Vivian appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Vivian always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Tokyo, Japan, Philippines and Hawaii. Vivian was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Vivian’s favorites was Joey. They were best friends for 15 years. Her family was rounded out by her 2 cats, Domino and Penny.

When Vivian’s retirement finally arrived in 1987, she was well prepared. She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, she found new pleasure in gardening and travel within the states. Even in retirement, Vivian continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Vivian L. Childers passed away on December 26, 2010 at her home in Henderson, Nevada. She is survived by husband, James, children, Marjorie, Richard, David, Karen and Jennifer. Two step daughters, Susan and Sandra and her loving grandchildren and great grandchildren. Services were held at the Palm Mortuary in Henderson, Nevada on January 4, 2011. Vivian was laid to rest in the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Vivian L. Childers. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.