Violet Elizabeth Vinkemeier

Violet Vinkemeier age 87 of Belle Plaine, died on September 27, 2012 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Funeral service will be held at 11a.m. on Tuesday, October 2 at Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine. Rev. John Zeitler will officiate. Visitation will be from 4-8p.m. on Monday at the Kolden Funeral Home in Belle Plaine and continue one hour prior to the service at church Tuesday morning. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Belle Plaine. Violet was born in Hancock Township, Carver County on March 23, 1925 to Ludwig and Esther (Zellman) Gohlke. She was baptized on April 12, 1925 by Rev. George Schmid at Evangelical Reformed Church in Hamburg. She was confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine on April 2, 1939 by Pastor P.J. Haupt. Her confirmation verse was II Peter 3:18, "Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Violet attended district 26 school in Carver County for 8 years and 3 years at Norwood-Young America High School. On July 15, 1942 she married Elwin Vinkemeier at St. John Lutheran in Belle Plaine. They were blessed with two children. She farmed with her husband and worked at Red Owl, Inc. in Hopkins for 14 years. She also worked at the Belle Plaine Lutheran Home for 18 years until her retirement on October 1, 1998. She liked watching the Minnesota Twins, gardening, flowers and needle work, spending time with her family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, mother and father-in law William & Hulda Vinkemeier and husband Elwin in 1997. Violet is survived by her son, Manley (Gayle) Vinkemeier of Belle Plaine; Daughter, LuVerne (Leon) Koentopf of Glencoe; Grandchildren, Brandt (Brenda) Vinkemeier, Jeffrey (Sheila) Vinkemeier, Lori (Jeffrey) Rieger, Shari (Jeffrey) Solheim and Randy Koentopf; Great-Grandchildren, Christina, Darian, Jacob, Justin, Lily, Daisy, Sage and Beau Vinkemeier, Kayla and Joshua Solheim; Brothers, Alvin (Nadine) Gohlke and Chester Gohlke; Sister, Gloria (Harry) Schaefer; Sisters-in law, Lorna Schwirtz, Olvern Vinkemeier and Paula Arndt; Many nieces and nephews.