Marian Adeline Anderson was born in Clear Lake, MN, on November 15, 1929, to Grace and Ernest Anderson. Although she mostly grew up in Polson, MT, on Flathead Lake, she graduated from Highline High School in Burien in 1947. Upon graduation in June, she revealed she had eloped and married Robert Sterling Viehmann the previous May 10, 1947!
Marian went on to give birth to and raise five children with Bob. They are Kathy Ragsdale of Kent, WA; Robert (Virginia) Viehmann of Placerville, CA; Thomas (Deena) Viehmann of Maricopa, AZ; Carol (Michael) Riley of Burien, WA; and Kenneth (Phyllis) Viehmann of Fircrest, WA.
Bob preceded Marian in death on April 14,1997, just shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. Also preceding her in death are her parents, her four siblings, Robert, Ruth, Stanley and Harry. It is a blessing that all five children, 11 grandchildren (Anthony, Randall (Renee), Tel (Alexis), Rachael, Jaime, Shaun (Jaqulyn), Caitlin, Hanna, Drew (April), Hailey and Kelsey, and five great-grandchildren survive to carry on the legacy of this wonderfully family-oriented, loving woman.
Marian and her family lived in Bellevue, WA, Billings, MT, Butte, MT, and Fairbanks, AK before settling in Des Moines, WA. For nearly 20 years, Marian owned and operated East Hill Florist in Kent, WA, while living in Des Moines.
She was an avid gardener; family and friends would bring their sick plants to her to turn them around to thrive in her greenhouse, which was her sanctuary during her busy working years and into retirement. Marian will be remembered as a faithful wife, treasured friend who always kept a confidence, and an excellent, dedicated mother, aunt and grandmother. Her older nephews remember her playing football in the yard with the family’s young men and teenage boys in Bellevue when she was a young mother. She and Bob were always up for card and board games, camping, and fun with friends’ families and the kids.
Marian and Bob retired to the Long Beach Peninsula, WA in the 1980's and lived there until Bob's death. Marian's final years were spent at Mama's Home, an adult family home in Des Moines, where she passed peacefully at age 90 after struggling with various health issues and deep dementia for over ten years.
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