Viola "Vi" Marie Sullivan

Viola “Vi” (Lantow) Schulz Sullivan, 94, of New Hampton, Iowa, passed away Wednesday, June 3, at New Hampton Nursing and Rehab Center.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 19, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Hampton with Rev. Dan Christensen presiding. Interment will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 20, 2026 at the Harlington Cemetery in Waverly. Friends may greet the family from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton and one hour before the service on Friday, at the church.

Viola was born on May 22, 1932, in rural Chickasaw County to Herman and Lena (Etter) Lantow. Her early years were spent helping her mother with cooking and work around the house plus taking care of the chickens on their farm. When she attended the one-room country school, she was the youngest student who eagerly learned along with the older students. Her first job was working at a grocery store. She learned to bake wonderfully delicious pies from her sister Maxine, 10 years her senior.

On June 2, 1950 she was united in marriage to Otto Schulz at St. John Lutheran Church, Boyd, Iowa. They were blessed with four children: Phyllis, Darlene, Linda and Gary.

Viola had a strong work ethic and friendly nature: working as a waitress at Little Butch’s and the bookkeeper at the John Deere Implement in New Hampton. She made many friends during those working years. Viola became a widow in 1967 when Otto was killed in a vehicle accident.

While Viola continued raising her children, she worked as a waitress, hostess and bookkeeper for Carver’s Restaurant in Waverly. On October 9, 1971 she married John Sullivan at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waverly. Through this marriage, Vi welcomed stepchildren Gail, Kevin and Brian into a blended family. John and Vi relocated to Storm Lake in 1972 where she worked as a waitress. In 1979 they moved to Nashua when they became the owners of the Gambles store.. Later she waitressed at Brooks’ and Dave’s Restaurant, managed the Subway, all in Charles City, and worked at Bradford House and Kwik Star in Nashua. She worked hard while treating others with kindness and respect. After John’s death in 2004, Vi attended the Grace Institute for Spiritual Formation program for laypersons. She led church services and Bible study groups, and took communion to home-bound church members. Vi’s faith was always strong throughout her life, reading daily devotions, and attending Bible studies and Sunday School.

As all the children started their families Vi became a frequent-flyer traveling to New Jersey, Maryland, and Switzerland. She and John loved spending time each year at Lake Okoboji and Vi went on trips with family to Australia and California. Even after she stopped working outside of her home, Viola continued her enjoyment of baking desserts (especially pies), cooking, gardening (last planted in her late 80s), sewing, and crocheting. She was also a devoted fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes football and basketball teams and Minnesota Twins, attending many games to cheer for her teams or cheering for the teams on her television in later years.

The family who will mourn her loss are her children Phyllis Axtell of Vista, California; Darlene (Christian) Walther of Gossau Switzerland; Linda Burgart of New Hampton; and Gary (Angie) of Rossie, Iowa; stepchildren Gail (Jerry) Emmert of Iowa City; Kevin (Penny) Sullivan of Urbandale; Brian (Jolene) Sullivan of Allison; 15 grandchildren of Iowa, Minnesota, California, Virginia, and Switzerland; 20 great grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Mary Lantow and Carol Schulz, both of Fredericksburg; and many nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Otto and John; sisters Norma Ferguson and Maxine Bennor; brothers, Robert and Raymond Lantow;  son-in–law, Randy Burgart; several brothers- and sisters-in-law; and several nieces and nephews.

Donations in her name may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 223 South Water Ave, New Hampton, IA 50659, or St. Croix Hospice, 4109 4th St. SW, Suite A, Mason City, IA 50401-7359.