Viola Wiland

Wiland, Viola, age 94, of Shelby Township, MI passed away peacefully on August 22, 2010. Viola was predeceased by her beloved husband of 69 years, Edward. She is survived by her children, Daniel (Jacky), Constance Salvati, Robert (Karen), Norman (Rosanne), Patricia McKendrick and David (Kim). She is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She was a devout Catholic and sang in the choir for many years at Resurrection Parish. Viola was a talented wedding cake baker and decorator. Among her hobbies she enjoyed trips to the casino. Visitation Tuesday 2 – 8 p.m. at Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes, Clinton Township. Visitation will continue Wednesday at St. Michael Catholic Church, 40501 Hayes, Sterling Heights, from 9 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at 9:30 a.m. Donations in Viola’s name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

When Viola Wiland walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Viola was and how she impacted those around her. Viola was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Viola wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Viola was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Viola was born on November 15, 1917 at at home in Mayfield, PA. She was the daughter of Mary and George Hemak. Viola was raised in Mayfield, PA. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Viola might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Viola was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Viola was raised with seven siblings. She had three brothers, Carl, Johnny, and Frank, and four sisters, Rosie, Katie, helemn, and Stella. Viola was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Viola was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Viola well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Viola was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Viola was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Viola took part in playing tag. In her spare time she liked cake decorating. Viola had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Viola was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Viola was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Josephine and Antonette. Later in life, she became friends with Fay and Edna.

Viola's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Edward's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Viola was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Viola was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Viola, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Wiland home. Viola's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up.

Viola married Edward Wiland on February 3, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan, they were blessed with six children: Daniel, Connie, Bob, Norman, Pat, and Dave. They were also blessed with sixteen grandchildren, Jeff, Kim, Lynne, Janet, Karen, Tim, Christopher, Amanda, Amy, Kevin, Michael, Brian, Sara, Patti, Kenny, and Kristy, and fifteen great grandchildren.

Viola was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was a homemaker. She enjoyed decorating cakes. Viola was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Viola had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Viola's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Viola loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were sewing, knitting, cake decorating, and cooking. Viola had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Viola's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Throughout her life, Viola was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Viola seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Viola usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Viola was an active member of the Church Choir, the Christian Mothers, and the Daughters of Isabella.

Because Viola was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Viola's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Viola found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Politically, Viola was a Democrat.

Viola was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of Resurrection, Our Lady of Good Council, St. Dorothy, and St. Jane de Chantel. During that time, she was a member of the Choir. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Though she never did anything solely for individual recognition, Viola's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned her accolades for her many lifelong efforts. Some of her most prestigious awards included being Queen for the Day.

Viola's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Viola took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included Frankenmuth, California, cottages in Grayling and Caseville, and Casinos. Viola was a lover of animals and cherished her pets.

Viola was predeceased by her husband, Edward. She is survived by her children, Daniel(Jacky), Constance Salvati, Robert(Karen), Norman(Roseanne), Patricia McKendrick, and David(Kim). Viola is also survived by 15 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchiuldren. Visitation Tuesday 2 – 8 p. M. At Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes, Clinton Township. Visitation will continue Wednesday at St. Michael Catholic Church, 40501 Hayes, Sterling Heights, from 9 a. M. Until the time of the Funeral Mass at 9:30 a. M. Viola will be laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery, Clinton Township, Michigan.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Viola. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Viola Wiland for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Viola was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.