Vivian Holland

Vivian (Vicki) Holland, age 94, of Decorah, IA, died peacefully Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at Wellington Place in Decorah. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah with Rev. Donald Hertges officiating. Burial will be in St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery in Decorah.    Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 P.M. Monday, October 7 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and on Tuesday beginning at 10:00 A.M., one hour before the service at the church. Vivian Helen Benson Holland (Vicki) was born January 3, 1925 in Ellsworth, Iowa, the fifth of ten children born to John and Blanche (Larson) Benson. Her mother was of Norwegian ancestry and her father was an immigrant born in Halmstad, Sweden. After being widowed in 1936, Vicki’s mother navigated the family through very difficult times. These Great Depression experiences were key in shaping Vicki’s values and perspectives. After high school graduation in 1942, Vicki moved to Ankeny, Iowa and began work at the massive Des Moines Ordnance Plant, a key ammunition supplier for the Second World War. She also began taking evening and weekend college classes at Drake University, commuting by streetcar. The next year she followed her oldest sister to California and found employment at an investment firm in downtown Los Angeles. She quickly rose from routine office work to becoming a securities broker. In her final years she could still reel off her phone salutation: "Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane." In 1945 at the end of WWII she returned to Iowa to greet her two older brothers who returned to the United States from long and difficult military tours. Vicki stayed in Iowa and returned to college in Des Moines, graduating from the American Institute of Business (AIB) with an associate degree in Business Administration. After graduation she was employed as an accountant and office manager for a Des Moines construction company. Through that job she met her future husband, Frank Holland. They were married at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah on August 30, 1952. Vicki was happy to relocate to Decorah, a community with Scandinavian roots. She spent her married life raising children and volunteering for church, school and community. Embracing the spirit of volunteerism, she co-founded the Minowa Health and Cancer Detection Center in Decorah in 1978. This clinic provides free screenings to women who do not regularly see a physician. She also dedicated long hours to raising money for the American Cancer Society. Vicki greatly appreciated music and was a founding director of the Dorian Opera Theatre and a longtime leader in the Decorah Community Concert Association. She was never happier than when she presided over her home, starting each day early with a strong cup of coffee. In the garden she babied roses and geraniums; in the kitchen she delighted in making banana bread and ham balls; in the family room she hosted countless bridge games; in the basement she revived treasures bought at auction; in the den she planned travels and read the Wall Street Journal; and in the garage she held sales where conversing with shoppers was far more important than selling. When her children were young Vicki volunteered for both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Although not much of a camper she loved singing campfire songs at the end of the day, most especially Taps: Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Vicki left this world surrounded by family who while grieving give thanks for the years they shared. She is survived by her daughter Julie (Peter Torvik) of Minneapolis, MN; her son Rexford of Minneapolis, MN; grandsons Frank and George Torvik; step-grandsons Fred and Harry Torvik; three sisters-in-law, Beth Benson of Des Moines, IA, Rosemary Holland and Marilyn Holland of Decorah; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.  She was predeceased by her husband Francis Leo Holland on March 10, 2011; her parents John Ludvig Benson (born Johan Ludvig Bengtsson) and Blanche Larson Benson; and her siblings; sister Beatrice Lucille Read, brother Leonard Larson Benson, brother John Donald Benson, sister Phyllis Hazel DeMoss, sister Ruth Ethel Hornberg, brother Richard Edward Benson, brother Myron Eugene Benson, brother Franklin Dean Benson, and sister Frances Deloris Benson, who died in infancy. Memorials may be directed to St. Benedict School, c/o/St. Benedict Parish, 307 West Main Street, Decorah, Iowa 52101 or Wellington Place, 2479 River Road, Decorah, IA 52101.