Vivian Stach Ramsey

Vivian Stach Ramsey was born at home on September 16, 1929, along with her twin sister, Virginia, to Max and Anna Stach in Wilkin County, Mitchell Township, Minnesota. Jesus took her hand from ours and led her home on April 7, 2017, at the age of 87. Through the tears, we come back to this thought: her suffering is over. She doesn’t have Parkinson’s anymore. She can walk, and talk, and sing, and read, and dance. She’s not imprisoned in her body. She’s free. Truly free.

Vivian attended high school in Detroit Lakes, MN, where she lived with two different families. To earn her room and board, she worked for the local dime store, as well as for the families with which she was staying in the evenings. She earned her teaching certificate in Park Rapids, MN then went on to receive an associate’s degree at Moorhead State College, and advanced her education with courses at the College of Great Falls. Her first teaching position in Ogema, MN was in a one-room schoolhouse where she taught all eight grades, all subjects, and all ages in that single room. From there she went to Sutton, North Dakota where she was to meet her husband, John. They met on their way to see the traditional Polka band, “Whoopee John” playing at the Rainbow Gardens in Carrington, ND. They were married on April 19, 1954.

Vivian was the 10th of 13 children and was the youngest of two sets of twins in her family. She taught kindergarten for most of her 19 year teaching career. She loved to play Mexican Train whenever any of the relatives came to visit. She was generous and kind, and always made you feel welcome and important in her home. She never spoke badly of anyone. Vivian never complained about being sick. She enjoyed spending time with friends and neighbors, and adored having family come to visit. She loved all of her sons-in-law and daughter-in-law. Her way of making them feel especially welcomed to the family was by always baking their favorite pies and cookies when they were around. Every Friday was cookie baking day!

She is the mother of five children and foster mother of one. She is survived by her husband, John Ramsey; daughter, Renee (Steve) Ramsey-Green of Chicago, IL; daughter, Roxanne (Dave) Bolte of Litchfield Park, AZ; daughter, Lois (Mark) Linnemann of Beaverton, OR; son, Daniel (Suzanne) Ramsey of Chanute, KS; daughter, MaryLyn (Tim) Miller of Vancouver, WA; foster daughter, Lois (Glenn) Morse; sisters, Enid Monger, Gloria Jacoby-Moore, and Joyce Bush; brother, Gordon Stach; 13 grandchildren, and 63 nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at Thompson Funeral Chapel, 926 S. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ. A second visitation will be held at 9:00 am, followed by the funeral service at 10:00 am, Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 830 E. Plaza Cir, Litchfield Park, AZ. A reception will follow the service. Interment will be at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.

Those who so desire may make memorial donations in memory of Vivian to Trinity Lutheran Church and School.

The family would like to thank the staff of Hospice of the Valley, Mercy Care, Good Neighbor, and All Valley for their exceptional care of Mom.