Violet Elaine (Harriman) Freeberg, 89, died August 11, 2009, at the Cook County North Shore Hospital in Grand Marais.
Vi was born April 15, 1920 to William and Laura (Hogeboom) Harriman. The fourth of five daughters, Vi enjoyed a loving and happy childhood growing up in Hovland.
In 1940, at age 20, Vi married Carl Freeberg from Grand Marais. To this happy union were born four children: Harry, Marlene, Julie, and Carla.
During Vi’s long and interesting life, she worked at many occupations, including cooking at the Grand Marais schools for 18 years and at the 61 Cafe; cashiering at Joynes Ben Franklin store; clerking at the original Trading Post located where the log art gallery now stands; and cooking at the Grand Marais Senior Center.
Vi was renowned for her wonderful baking and cooking skills throughout her life, and tremendously enjoyed hosting coffee and tea parties, lunches and dinners for her family and friends at her Grand Marais home and later, when widowed, at her apartment.
She and Carl were devoted and devout members of the Grand Marais First Baptist church, the former name of the Cornerstone Community Church, and raised all four children in this faith.
Besides her strong religious faith, Vi had the enviable ability to make friends easily, across generations and different backgrounds. To her family and friends, she went by many affectionate names: she was known as Bun, Bun- Bun, Grandma Bun, and Mother Bun. Vi’s milliondollar smile, kind and gracious manner, along with her great personality and sense of humor, endeared her to young and old alike. She was particularly loving and supportive to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
When she wasn’t cooking or entertaining, Vi enjoyed traveling throughout the USA with Carl, and camping and fishing at different locations throughout Cook County.
While most of us are aware of Vi’s excellence in the kitchen, most may not know that she adored dressing up: Vi loved to look pretty, assembling a wardrobe of dresses and skirts and blouses and tops and coordinating all these lovely outfits with jewelry, shoes, and other accessories. Whether she was attending church, a wedding, or some special event, she dressed to the nines, and she epitomized femininity.
Vi was preceded in death by her husband Carl in 1977, and son Harry in 2007.
She is survived by her three daughters, Marlene (Craig) Sturm, Julie (Dave) Burau and Carla (Mike) Teetzel; daughter in-law Dorie Freeberg; nine grandchildren, LeAnn Zunker, Linda (Ryan) Grivette, Diana (Barry) Lindquist, Rick (Becky) Sturm, Tara Sellers, Brett (Cori) Burau, Jonathan Teetzel, Joey Teetzel, Marnie (Nick) Kessler; and 11 greatgrandchildren.
A memorial service was held Aug. 15 at Cornerstone Community Church, followed by committal at Maple Hill Cemetery.
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