Viola Louise Eckhardt

Viola, “Vi” was born on December 14, 1930 in Crook, Colorado to the late Mary Ann and Frederich Bieber of Golden, Colorado. She was the youngest of four children, her brothers Jacob and Rudolph and sister Frieda preceded her in death. Vi was educated in Sedgwick, Colorado and she professed her life to Christ at an early age.

Vi married the late Reuben Carl Eckhardt Sr. in July 1950 in Sedgwick, Colorado, and three children were born from this union. The family moved to Los Molinos, California in 1971 and worked on a minnow farm. After selling the minnow farm, the family moved to Red Bluff, California where Vi worked for many years as a Certified Nursing Assistant at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. In 1995, she received the Spirit of Mercy Award which was granted by the hospital in recognition of her efforts in fulfilling the hospital’s mission of mercy. She was known for her generous spirit, not only as a CNA, but in her community and family as well. She was an avid knitter and seamstress, knitting blankets for the local nursing home and for family and friends.

Vi loved reading her Bible and she leaves with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren an incredible legacy of faith. She enjoyed listening to hymns and polka, and loved decorating for the holidays. She was a loving and caring person, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. She was also a friend and lover of cats, having had many as pets and was often seen with a kitty in her lap.

Viola leaves to cherish her loving memory her three children Cynthia Schlager (Richard) of Centennial, CO, Nadine Bisnett (Michael) of Red Bluff, CA, and Reuben Carl Eckhardt Jr. (Vonda) of Red Bluff, CA, eight grandchildren Melissa Jensen (Jason), Michele Sweet (Randy), Michael Schlager (Lauren), Marci Jourdan (Dan), Rachel Kinner (Alex), Rebekah Hencratt (Blair), Ryan Eckhardt (Jessica) and Russell Eckhardt, the late grandchild in love Bryan Allen Scoville, and fifteen great grandchildren Sierra, Dillon, Ryan, Andrew, Audrey, Hunter, MaKenna, Asher, Gunner, Evan, Brendan, Erik, William, Elsie, and Wendy.

She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Services will be held Thursday April 20, 2023.