Viola M. Rambo, 97, of Libby

Viola Rambo passed away in her home on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013.  

Viola was born to Hilda (Meyer) and Alphonse Muller on Jan. 20, 1916, on the homestead near Rudyard, Mont. She grew up in Hingham, Mont., graduating from Hingham High School in 1932 at 16. One of the early jobs she held was with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the Rocky Boy Reservation where she crawled up under the eaves of the BIA building, digging out boxes of files that helped numerous families to be verified for inclusion on the tribal rosters. 

In 1935, three years out of high school, she had earned enough money to attend Kinman Business School in Spokane, Wash., where she graduated on an accelerated schedule in seven months.

She and Howard Rambo were married in Box Elder, Mont., on June 3, 1939.  Initially, they worked on railroad jobs along the Hi-Line. From 1941 Howard worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers until he was inducted into the Army in January 1945 where he served in the Philippines, Okinawa and Army of Occupancy Japan. 

Howard transferred back into the Corps of Engineers for postwar reconstruction of airbases in Japan. Viola sailed from Seattle with their two young children to join Howard there where they lived the for the next 18 months, enjoying the Japanese culture and making numerous lifelong friendships. 

They returned to Montana to the 200 acres they had previously purchased in Libby. Having grown up on the arid Montana Hi-Line, Viola wanted a home by water. Three creeks ran through this property at that time. For several years, the Rambos bred and raised registered shorthorn cattle.  

In 1952, Howard began working at J. Neils Lumber Co. He became a Forest Service employee in 1956, working out of the Sylvanite and Libby Ranger districts. 

In 1953, Viola began working for the U.S. Forest Service Supervisor’s Office in downtown Libby.  Before retiring, Viola transferred out to the Canoe Gulch Ranger District.

 After retiring, Howard and Viola traveled extensively, together visiting every state in the union except Hawaii. (Son Dan took his mom to Hawaii in 1988.) 

They spent many seasons in their winter home in Tucson, Ariz. Viola continued to enjoy the sunny winter months in Arizona up until 2003.

Viola was active in many organizations through the years from helping establish the original Lincoln County Federal Employees Credit Union (now LCCU), the VFW Auxiliary, Republican Club, Retired U.S. Forest Service Employees, Arizona Vietnam Veteran Association and St. Joseph Catholic Church.

She is survived by her sister Eileen Bucholz of Beach, N.D.; brother, Jim (Shirley Rudyard) Muller; sister-in-law, JoAnn Muller of Hibbing, Minn.; daughters, Kathleen (John) Bache of Libby, Patty Rambo of Libby; son, Dan (Kathy Ottawa) Rambo of Ontario, Canada, and daughter-in-law, Helen Ryan (Chris) Christensen of Helena.  

Other survivors include grandchildren Kerry Lynn Strike of Billings, Amy Christensen of Helena, Reid Christensen of Helena, Molly Croft of Jacksonville, Fla., Ben Bache  of Plains, Bill Bache of Libby, Stacy Short Gannon of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Teeghan Rambo and Art Rambo of Ottawa, Ontario.

Other survivors include 49 nieces and nephews and16 great-grandchildren.

Funeral was Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, in Libby by Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home at St. Joseph Catholic Church.Father Jozef Perehubka officiated.  

Interment was beside her husband, Howard, and son, Art, in the City of Libby Cemetery.

Donations may be contributed to the Arthur John Rambo Memorial Scholarship Fund.