Vivian P. Pinney

Well done, good and faithful servant. Vivian left this world a better place, showing us how to better love everyone and truly put hands and feet and heart to her faith. Her life was defined first by her faith, second by her love of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and last, but never least, service to others. We are thankful to have shared this life with the greatest mother, grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt and friend anyone could ever wish for. 

Vivian’s was truly a life well and fully lived. It began in the Henderson, MN area with her parents, William and Johanna (Sudmann) Busse, and her twin brother, Robert. After graduating from high school in the spring of 1943, she was part of an accelerated teacher training program at Mankato Teachers College. She began her teaching career in Nicollet, MN, then taught in Winnebago, MN before marrying the love of her life, Gerald Pinney, on June 22, 1948. Gerald and Vivian spent 15 years farming and raising a family in rural Le Sueur. Upon the death of her husband in April 1963, she completed a four-year teaching degree, then taught in Henderson, MN and finally spent the majority of her teaching career in Cleveland, MN. During this time she raised four boys into men and saw all of them graduate from the University of Minnesota with engineering degrees. 

After retiring in 1990, Vivian volunteered everywhere: Hospice (as a volunteer, as a board member and as the Coordinator for Le Sueur), Le Sueur and Cleveland Public Schools, Meals on Wheels, mentor program, Gardenview Nursing Home, Le Sueur County Extension Council, Friends of the Le Sueur Public Library, Book Buddy program, and the Minnesota Valley Hospital Auxiliary. She was a very active long-time member of The Presbyterian Church of Le Sueur. She was also recognized as Le Sueur County Senior Citizen of the Year and Region 9 Senior Citizen of the year in 2006 and was selected as Grand Marshal of the Giant Days parade in 2009. 

After 56 years of waiting, Vivian was finally reunited with her husband in heaven and after 94 years of giving her heart to others, hers is finally at rest. Vivian was welcomed into the life eternal by those who had gone before her: her parents; her brother, Robert; her husband, Gerald; infant twins, Betty Jean and baby boy; and son, Alan Pinney. She leaves behind many of us who will miss her dearly:  sister-in-law Arlene Busse; sons, Steve (Jessie) Pinney, Mark (Dianne) Pinney, and Keith (Amy) Pinney; daughter-in-law Sandy Pinney; grandchildren Rachel (Jason) Dahl, Ross (Jenna) Pinney, Ryan (Lori) Pinney, Kate (Jeff) Bohn, Michael (Bridget) Pinney, Lisa (Peter) Johnson, and David Pinney; great-granchildren Jessica, Molly, Maddux, Austin, Audrey, Hayden, Luther, Ian, Luke, and Julia; and many friends, colleagues, and other family members.

Visitation will be held Friday, June 21 from 4:00 p.m. ~ 8:00 p.m.  at Kolden Funeral Home in Le Sueur, and a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ in Le Sueur with a visitation an hour before the service.  Burial will be in Mound Cemetery, Le Sueur, MN.

The family requests memorial gifts be given to the Le Sueur Public Library or the Le Sueur Hospice.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.