OBITUARY: Violet M. Kirkland
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Violet "Vie" M. Kirkland, age 85, of Carrier Mills, formerly of Elmhurst, passed away on Sunday, July 15, 2012. She was born on May 23, 1927, in Melrose Park.
Vie and her husband Ozzie settled in Elmhurst in 1953, where they lived for 53 years. They were members of the Yorkfield Presbyterian Church until 2007 when they came to live together at Carrier Mills Nursing home in Southern Illinois. Vie worked at Hines Hospital as a medical transcriptionist during World War II and while Ozzie was overseas the Korean Conflict. Soon after, they started a family. Because family and friends were a priority for Vie, she always served as a hub, keeping connected through many telephone calls and letters, all while being a home office secretary and receptionist for Ozzie. She loved packing up the car with picnic lunches and going to the beach and forest preserve with her kids. As her children grew, she took up bicycling on the Illinois Prairie Path, which was literally in her backyard. She loved to swim, play golf, tennis, walk, cook, organize games and crafts and volunteer at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital.
Later in life, she and Ozzie enjoyed trips with Elderhostel, Alaska, being her favorite place. She will be remembered for imparting love of life to everyone she met. In her nearly 60-year marriage to Ozzie, their loving and compassionate partnership was the best role model a family could have.
Vie is survived by daughters, Jeri (Bob) Shaw, Joanne (Kevin Clark) Kirkland; son, Jim (Carla) Kirkland; grandchildren, Kati (Scott) Ustas, Rob Shaw, Twyla (Omar Polar), Quinn and Brenna Clark, Calen and Wyatt Kirkland, Rafael (Paige) Tesorero; and great grandson Michael Ustas.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Oswald Kirkland, in 2008.
Funeral services will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Carrier Mills on at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 18, 2012, with the Rev. Stav Irvin officiating. Burial will be in Salem Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family at the church after 10 a.m. Wednesday. For those who wish, the preferred choice of remembrance should be in the form of a donation to the First United Methodist Church parsonage fund. Envelopes will be available at the church or may be mailed to First United Methodist Church, 109 E. Washington St., Carrier Mills, 62917. Absher-Nicholson Funeral Home in Carrier Mills has been entrusted with the arrangements.