Viva (Fries) Hauber, 101, of Burke, SD, was welcomed into Heaven on November 18th, 2024 at the Community Memorial Hospital in Burke, SD.

Viva was born January 18, 1923 in Bay City, OR to Mary (Fischler) Fries and Harvey Clifton Fries.  She graduated from Bay City High School in 1941 and was Valedictorian of her class.

She married Clinton Rupert Holmes in July of 1941 and to this union 2 children were born, Mary Louise (Holmes) Hauber in Sept of 1942 and Linda Kay (Holmes) Griffith in Sept of 1946.  They lived on a ranch near Hulett, Wy.

In April of 1959 sh e married Walter Richards in Empire, OR and they lived in North Bend, OR.  To this union one child was born, Dale Warren Richards, in Feb of 1960.

In Aug of 1968 she moved back to Devils Tower, Wy and married Maurice Edward Hauber.  They resided on the family ranch until 1972 when they retired to a home on Lytle Creek, east of Devils Tower. They then moved to Hulett in 1991. After Maurice passed away in February of 2000, Viva moved outside of Moorcroft, Wy to be near her daughter Linda.

In May of 2021, she moved to Burke, SD near her granddaughter, Tina.  She lived in Burke until her passing.

Viva loved to travel and some of her adventures included fishing trips to Alaska with Maurice, visiting Australia and New Zealand, a trip to England to see her great-grandson, Andew, while he was stationed there in the Airforce, and even across the world to visit her granddaughter, Tara, when she was living in Malaysia.

She loved to sew, quilt, do crafts, and many other creative things.  Many family members were gifted with her homemade treasures.  She also loved to cook and bake and shared her recipes and skills with others.  She especially loved the game of Pitch and she and Maurice spent many hours playing cards with friends. In her later years, she took up Hardanger, a Norwegian embroidery that is very intricate, making several beautiful pieces that will be treasured by her family.   She spent many enjoyable hours with her fellow crafters at the Civic Center in Hulett.  She had a wicked sense of humor and you never quite knew what she might say next!

She loved her family deeply and enjoyed attending the various school and sports activities of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, 7 brothers and sisters, son Dale Richards, son-in-law Otis Griffith, and son-in-law Howard Hauber.

She is survived by her two daughters, Mary Hauber (Burke, SD), and Linda Griffith (Moorcroft, Wy), 8 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Viva will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 2 pm at the First Baptist Church in Hulett, Wy.  Burial will follow at the Hulett Cemetery.  Following the grave side service, everyone is invited back to the church for coffee and cookies and to share their memories of Viva.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com .

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