Violet Eleanor Christofferson, 94, of Park Rapids, MN, formerly of Bisbee, ND and Mesa, AZ passed away on Sunday, April 17, 2016 at Heritage Cottages in Park Rapids, MN. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May, 1, 2016 at the Dunnigan-Dix Funeral Home of Cando, ND with Pastor Bonnie Weaver officiating. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will be at the Bisbee Lutheran Cemetery, Bisbee, ND.

Violet was born on Mother's Day, May 8, 1921 at her grandparents farm south of Warwick, ND to Ruby (Casto) and Archie Dutee. Had she lived three weeks more, she would have been 95 on this upcoming Mother's Day. She was raised on the Dutee farm south of Warwick and often told of riding with her grandfather in the surrey with the fringe on top pulled by a beautiful team of horses. She attended country schools near Warwick completing the 8th grade and some high school level correspondence classes. She remembered many visits from Governor Bill Langer to their home, as he was a close friend of her grandparents, John (Mary) Dutee and her great grandparents, John (Matilda) Dutee. She told many stories about farm life in the early years and the depression years, as her family had homesteaded and farmed next to the Sheyenne River in Eddy County in 1883.
Violet had a variety of pets during her childhood years, enjoyed roller skating at Red Willow with her friends and learning to cook and sew as most young girls did at that time. She married in 1939 and was the mother of six, so she sewed most of the children's clothing, as well as her own clothes and she cooked countless meals. She was an excellent baker; breads, cakes, and many pies. She grew large gardens, canning upward of 400 jars of vegetables, pickles and fruits each fall. While living in Cando for four years and the children were growing, she cooked in Cando cafes.
She married Morris Christofferson in 1957 and moved to the farm north of Bisbee. Violet and Morris were parents to a daughter, Marie. Violet enjoyed farm life, the children had space to play and grow. In 1964 Violet and Morris built a house in Bisbee and moved into town. She continued to cook and sew, but also took up a hobby, ceramics, which she continued for 40 plus years. She was creative and enjoyed doing crafts. Later, while in her 70's she began painting pictures in oils.
In 1984 Violet and Morris moved to Columbia ParkTowers, Grand Forks, to winter for the next two winters, returning to Bisbee for the summer months. In 1986 they moved to Grand Forks, selling the house in Bisbee. A year or so later, they moved to Mesa, AZ for Morris' health, returning to Bisbee for summer visits. Violet remained in AZ after Morris' death in 1992, and at the age of 88 moved into an assisted living apartment in Park Rapids, MN.
She is survived by her children, Dean (Marsha) Whetham of Redondo Beach, CA; Florence (Jim) Oakland of Bisbee, ND; Arlene (Duane) Hauschulz of Glen Lyn VA; Miles (Karen) Whetham of Bemidji, MN; and Marie (Don) Dearstyne of Park Rapids, MN. She is also survived by grandchildren, Lora Tanu, Ryan (Lorraine) Whetham, Sara (Paul) Curl, Stacy (Corey) Stephens, Travis Hauschulz, Preston Hauschulz, Kimberlee (Michael) Bainter, Connie (Chad) Carruth, Mandy (Mark) Moscatelli, Natasha, Ashley, Amber and Mariena Dearstyne, and several great grandchildren.
Violet was preceded in death by her husband, Morris, her parents, Archie and Ruby Dutee, brother Steve Dutee, two sons, Harris Whetham, 1995; and Vernon Whetham, 1967 in Viet Nam (Violet was a Gold Star Mother) and two grandsons, Marshall Hauschulz and Scott Oakland.