Viola Catherine Bobb Ehret passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2015 in Mena, Arkansas.
She was born on August 27, 1919 in Radcliffe, Iowa to the late David Henry Bobb and the late Mary Catherine Tennihill Bobb. Viola was raised in Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from North High in 1937. Following her graduation, she attended William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa. In 1939, Viola moved to Washington, DC where she worked for the federal government for four years, two of which were at the Pentagon. It was in Washington, DC, that she met her husband, Joseph F. Ehret, who was stationed at Fort Belvoir. Shortly after they were married, he was shipped overseas and was captured by the Germans in North Africa. He was held prisoner of war for 2 1/2 years, and was released when the war ended.
Viola moved to Mena in 1945 to live with her husband where he was born and raised. She worked at Polk County Memorial Hospital (the old hospital), and at Mena Regional Health System (new hospital) after it was built. Viola was the Medicare and insurance clerk, retiring after 23 years.
She is survived by daughters, Mary C. Wann and husband Ralph Wann of Jonesboro, Arkansas; Barbara A. Wilds and husband Grady Wilds of Mena, Arkansas; son, William J. Ehret and wife Faye Ehret; seven grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, David Henry Bobb and Mary Catherine Bobb; her husband, Joseph F. Ehret; her brother, Robert Bobb, who died at Okinawa, Japan during the World War ll; and her sister, Cordelia Otto.
Funeral service will be Saturday, May 30, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Beasley Wood Chapel. Interment will follow in the Pinecrest Memorial Park under the direction of the Beasley Wood Funeral Home of Mena.
Pallbearers will be Shawn Falkenrath, David Horton, Brian Ehret, Christopher Ehret, Grady Wilds, and Thomas Paulson.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.
More Stories
The Polk County Pulse – April 17, 2024
The Polk County Pulse – April 10, 2024
The Polk County Pulse – April 3, 2024