Felicitas "Phyllis" Marie Viglione

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

Felicitas “Phyllis” Marie Kopp Viglione, was born in Richardton, North Dakota, on June 24, 1922, to German, farming parents—Melchior Kopp, and Margaret Hagel Kopp, who immigrated to North Dakota from Ukraine’s Black Sea area.

Phyllis was the eighth of thirteen children, born to Margaret and Melchior Kopp. She was a happy child, amongst a commuity of siblings growing up during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

Felicitas’s name was legally changed to “Phyllis” by her sister Eugenia, when her first grade classmates could not pronounce the name Felicitas. She loved school, and recalled sharing a desk with her sister, Alma, in a multiple-grades schoolhouse. The kids loved to pass Grandma Caroline’s house after school to get cookies on the walk home.

In addition to sewing the girls dresses by creating patterns from newspaper, her mother Margaret made seven loaves of bread every other day. Later, Phyllis wondered why she and her siblings liked to exchange their mother’s homemade bread sandwiches, for their classmates store-bought bread sandwiches.

Agnes remembers her older sister, Phyllis, tying her Shirley Temple locks with rags. With seven brothers, Phyllis was both able to give and receive teasing, and there was plenty of it, along with singing. Lawrence Welk’s family lived in the area, and Lawrence often played at barn dances attended by Phyllis’s mom and dad.

Melchior traveled by train to buy and sell cattle. Phyllis and her siblings loved to sit on his lap when he returned, enjoying his gifts of lemon drops or taffy, and afterwards, they searched his chair for coins that would fall from his pockets.

The Assumption Abbey of Benedictine monks in Richardton served as a formative in-fluence on the family, and was their parish home.

When Phyllis was ten, her father Melchior died of complications from Tuberculosis. The parish priest encouraged the then-widowed, Margaret, to consider marriage to Mr. Lantz, a parishioner recently widowed with thirteen children. And so it was, that the two families were joined; by then, some of the children were grown, some had already died, and two would go to the convent. Phyllis recalled fifteen around the table.

Phyllis missed her 8th grade, along with the chance to graduate with her classmates, in order to cook and housekeep for her older brothers who worked the other farm, out of town. When saying goodbye to her mom, tears were falling, and her mother asked, “Phyllis, are you crying?” Phyllis wiped away her tears, replying, “No, I just have waste in my eyes”. Throughout life, Phyllis, wiped many a tear away for others, bringing her gentle spirit and “felicity” the meet life’s challenges.

Phyllis received her nursing instruction at St. Joseph’s School of Nursing, Minor, N.D. during the 1940s, and graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Cadet Nursing Program of World War II.

As a young nurse in Denver, Phyllis attended a patient, who wished to introduce Phyllis to her handsome son, Eugene. It was not long after, in April of 1954, that Phyllis and “Gene” married; they honeymooned in San Fransisco prior to Gene shipping out for his two years of army military service in the Korean War.

Four daughters, “the Dolly Sisters”, as they were often called, were born to Phyllis and Eugene—Diane, Gloria, Teresa, and the youngest, Maria, who was born with a diagnosis of Down’s Syndrome and mental retardation. After the girls passsed middle school, she renewed her nursing license and return to many years as a post-surgical and then, private-duty nurse.

Eugene died at age 54 due to complications from Huntington’s Disease, and the two younger daughters passes away within months of each other in 2017.

Phyllis loved deeply. Her playful spirt, quick wit and authentic humility were evident until the end. She was all about family, and especially cherished her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A few weeks before her passing, she was in costume, reading stories to the little ones, and sharing laughter with those in her presence.

Phyllis is survived by one remaining sister, Agnes Mae Kopp Hill; daughter Gloria Jean Viglione; daughter Diane Marie Viglione Mee, (Bruce, spouse); grand daughter Gina Marie Mee Mackovic (Marko, spouse, and their children Maya, Niko and Luka); grand-daughter Christie Rose Mee Lanyon (Jesse, spouse, and their children Briella and Olivia); grandson Dominic Nedbalski (spouse Nicole); grandson Justin Curtis (children Alex and Joshua).

Phyllis was preceded in death by her twelve siblings, her husband Eugene, and her daughters Teresa Ann Viglione Nedbalski and Maria Suzanne Viglione.

The entire Viglione family thanks you for being part of Phyllis’s life. We regret that we can’t all gather to celebrate her, but hope that you will find your way to do so. We wish to express sincere gratitude for the loving care she received by the Little Sisters, and staff at Mullen Home, the authentic friendships and good fun that ensued there, and the beautiful care given her and our family during her dying process.

For a slide show of Phyllis long and beautiful life, please cut and paste this link into your search bar:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4DZpYYd2FFDHU6ZeA

In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to: The Little Sisters of the Poor, Mullen Home, 3629 W. 29th Ave, Denver, CO, 80211, so they can continue their mission to serve the aged.