Violet May Roloff, 88, passed away at home in Shawano, on Sunday, March 13, 2022. Vi was born June 13, 1933, in Tigerton, to Joseph and Alice (Malueg) Fournier. She loved school and graduated from Marion High School in 1951. She married Earl Roloff on July 21, 1951, and moved to Shawano.
Vi’s first job in Shawano was at Montgomery Ward. In 1953, she started working at Citizens State Bank. Four years later, Earl and Vi started a salvage yard, Shawano Auto Parts. In 1961, they signed a franchise with Chrysler Corporation. Vi and Earl worked in the business together for several decades. After Earl passed, Vi worked at Shawano Auto Sales until she turned 87. She loved her work and always wanted to keep her fingers on the checkbook.
Vi loved to travel and enjoyed all her trips. Earl and Vi travel throughout the United States and many places abroad. One of her most memorable trips was to Scotland for upland game hunting, where she was the only female gun. She also enjoyed many trips to Las Vegas with Earl and other family members. She played the keno machines with her favorite winning numbers.
In addition to traveling, she enjoyed hunting and fishing. Sports were a big part of her life, participating and being a spectator. Vi loved bowling since she was 14 years old. She was captain of Shawano Auto Gals for decades. Her highlight was being inducted into the Shawano-Clintonville Bowling Hall of Fame in 2018. She always said she was born too early in the century, as her dream was to be a racecar driver. She loved her Prowler and enjoyed driving it fast. She loved her Brewers, Packers, Bucks, Badgers, and the Olympics.
Her other passion was sewing. She loved quilting and sharing that passion with her grandchildren. She was a long-time member of St. James Lutheran Church in Shawano.
Vi is survived by her children, Pamela Schmidt, of the Dominican Republic, Rick Roloff, Paula (James) Lackner and Jeffrey (Jennifer) Roloff, all of Shawano; her grandchildren, Neal (Rebecca) Olson, of West Cliffe, Colorado, Amanda Mercedes, of the Dominican Republic, Nichol (Matt) Gehrman, of Waukesha, Lauren Roloff, of Menominee Falls, Lindsey and Isabel Roloff, of Shawano; her great-grandchildren, Oliver and Maximillian.
She is further survived by her sisters-in-law, Esther Rosenau (Bob Schmidt), of Manawa, Ardell Roloff, of Shawano, Nancy Roloff, of Waupaca, Emma Dirks, of Sheboygan, Della Grafton, of Sheboygan, and Dolores Fournier, of Tigerton; her brother-in-law, Eugene (Marie) Roloff, of Oshkosh; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Earl; her in-laws, Elmer and Esther Roloff; son-in-law, Bill Schmidt; brothers, Leonard, Norman, and Louis Fournier; sisters-in-law, Ardis Fournier, June Fournier, Donna Durrant, Durane Lorge, Doris Wiese, Diane Kroening and Dorothy Rasmussen; and brothers-in-law, Edgar Roloff, and Everett Roloff.
Our family was given the gift of a long goodbye for the past seven years while she fought cancer. She left this earth having made a positive impact in so many ways.
Honoring Vi’s wishes, there will be no service. Vi asked to remember her by teaching someone a life skill, such as sewing, to host a game of bowling, or simply to enjoy her favorite beverage, a good cup of coffee.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Matt Skalitsky for his compassion, kindness, and conversation to Vi, and to all the nurses with ThedaCare Hospice for their kindness, support, and expertise.
Memorials can be directed to Navarino Nature Center or St. James School in remembrance of Vi.
www.swedbergfuneralhome.com
Violet “Vi” M. Roloff
