Viola M McKenney

Rock Rapids, Iowa

Viola McKenney age 83, of Brandon, SD, formerly of Rock Rapids, IA died on May 15, 2025, at her home in Brandon.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, May 20th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with family present at Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, IA.

Funeral service will be at 1:30 PM, Wednesday, May 21st at Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, with Rev. Alex Sloter officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery at Rock Rapids.

Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids is in charge of arrangements.

Viola Mae was born August 23, 1941 at the family farm near George, IA, the daughter of Waldo A. and Anna C. (Gruis) Riebeling. She was raised in rural Lyon County, Iowa. At a young age she lost her mother and infant sister during childbirth. At age 5 her father remarried Elizabeth Henrichs and their family moved to a farm near Lester, IA. She attended country school and helped with the daily chores on the farm. At age 12 Viola’s father, Waldo, passed away. She remained with her step-mother, Elizabeth and graduated from Lester High School in 1959. After her education she began working as a secretary for Phil Mogler. From there she worked at the A.S.C.S. Office in Rock Rapids with Joan Baatz who was a cousin of Robert McKenney. Joan introduced Viola to Robert.

They were united in marriage on December 18, 1963, at Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids. From 1963 until 1967 they lived near Canton, SD and for the majority of their life they lived on a farm near Rock Rapids from 1967 until 2023, when they moved to Brandon, SD. During this time Viola also worked as a cook at 2 Brother’s Restaurant near Rock Rapids, housekeeper at Rock Rapids Health Centre and Rock Valley Manor and in laundry at Fellowship Village Nursing Home in Inwood, IA.

Viola was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids and was very involved with church activities. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed gardening, especially flowers and later in life, watching wildlife, especially birds.

Both Viola and Robert retired from the farm in 2023 and moved to Brandon, SD. Viola’s husband died unexpectedly on April 28, 2024. Viola remained living in their home in Brandon, SD, until this past Thursday, May 15, 2025, when she died unexpectedly at the age of 83.

She was survived by three children, Todd (Regina) McKenney of St. Joseph, MO; Brenda Van Middendorp of Luverne, MN; Troy (Kim) McKenney of Belle Fourche, SD; thirteen grandchildren, Heather, Robert, Melanie, Katie, Jessica, Daryl, Casey, Gloria, Nathaniel, Isaac, Andrew, Thaddaeus and Simon; twenty-two great grandchildren; one half-sister Wanda Riebeling of Alvord, IA; one sister-in-law Laura Lee McKenney of Belle Fourche, SD; and brother-in-law, Don Oaks of Billings, MT.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert; parents, Waldo and Anna Riebeling; step-mother, Elizabeth Riebeling; an infant sister and a half-brother, LeRoy Riebeling.