Vivian Kaufman

Vivian Kaufman, age 95, formerly of Storm Lake, Iowa, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2022, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. Memorial services will take place Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Storm Lake. To watch a livestream of the service, use the following link: bit.ly/viviankaufman and enter password: funeral. Burial will be in the Storm Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the CHURCH. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of arrangements. Vivian Elizabeth (Franzene) Kaufman was born on a farmstead near Alta, Iowa on March 7, 1927, to Swedish immigrants, Axel Herman and Agnes Emelia (Andersson) Franzene. Vivian was baptized on October 6, 1929, at Immanuel Elk Lutheran Church, rural Alta. She attended summer bible school at the Elk Baptist Church in Elk Township and in her teens, she accepted Christ as her Savior as a member of Center Grove Evangelical Church near Alta, Iowa. She served her church by attending regularly and she held a strong Christian faith throughout her lifetime bringing great support to her. Vivian attended Highview Consolidated School, rural Linn Grove, Iowa, all twelve school years graduating in 1944 as Valedictorian of her class. Music was an important theme in Vivian’s life from a young age. She and her sisters, Elayne and Vera, were a popular piano and vocal trio often performing for events in the area through their elementary and high school years. Following graduation Vivian attended Nettleton Commercial College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In the summer of 1945, she returned to Storm Lake and took a bookkeeping/secretarial job at Hansen-Whelan Motor Co. It was there where she met her future husband, Jack Kaufman. In the fall of 1946 upon discharge from the U.S. Army, Jack returned to Storm Lake to work at Hansen-Whelan Motor Co. where he was employed prior to entering military service during WWII. In 1948 Vivian enrolled at Buena Vista College where she enjoyed singing in the college choir and in a quartet with sister Vera and mutual friends, Neola Grodahl and Janet Anderson. The “4 Notes and a Sharp” quartet was accompanied on piano by Vivian’s sister, Elayne, (she was the “Sharp”). The group spent many hours together practicing and arranging music and performed regularly over KAYL Radio Station in Storm Lake on Saturday mornings. They roomed together during their years at BVC and became best friends. Vivian received a “Limited Teaching Certificate” from BVC in 1949 and taught combined fifth/sixth grade one year in Ida Grove, Iowa. In July 1950 she became a receptionist for KAYL Radio Station, where she remained employed until after her marriage. On March 13, 1951, Vivian and Jack were married at Center Grove Evangelical Church near Alta, Iowa during a massive multi-day blizzard. Much to the couple’s dismay, the wedding was postponed two days because of the blizzard. They were blessed with one daughter, Linda Rae. They resided in Storm Lake, Iowa all their married life. Vivian was a loving and devoted wife to Jack for over 58 years in addition to being a caring and generous mother, grandmother, sister and friend. Vivian became a member of the Storm Lake United Methodist Church on September 9, 1951, where she was a faithful and active member. She was a member and held offices in U.M.W. and circle groups, was a Bible School teacher, sang in chancel choir for over 30 years, played in the Golden Bell choir for two years and she sang in the Altos Express group. Vivian was a Brownie Scout leader during Linda’s initial year as a Brownie Girl Scout. She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed many other hobbies including embroidery, knitting, weaving, cooking, and gardening. Vivian will long be remembered for the beautiful, quilted projects she made for family and herself. Above all she was a loving grandmother and great grandmother. A highlight of being a grandmother for Vivian was attending musical performances, dance recitals, volleyball games and numerous other activities of her granddaughters which brought much joy to her heart. Her family will miss her cookies, caramel rolls and most anything else she cooked or baked! Vivian and Jack enjoyed golfing together for many years as members of Lake Creek and Alta Country Clubs. Vivian loved to host social activities and especially enjoyed playing Bridge with friends. In her retirement she worked as an Election Chair for several years in Buena Vista County. Traveling in the U.S. with family and enjoying trips to the Bahamas and Acapulco with Jack were memorable. Vivian and Jack enjoyed several trips to Door County, Wisconsin with close Storm Lake friends. They also vacationed in Florida many times including a one special trip with family to Fort Myers Beach where they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1982, Vivian and two sisters visited many maternal and paternal aunts, uncles and cousins in Sweden, who were previously unknown to them. That trip fulfilled a life-long dream. A pleasurable Mediterranean cruise in 2011 with Linda and her husband provided Vivian occasion to see her granddaughter, Greta, perform on stage with other dancers aboard the cruise ship. The daily excursions in four different countries, excellent food and beautiful scenery were delightful and brought treasured memories for years. In late 2021, Vivian moved from Storm Lake to Coralville, Iowa to be nearer family. At her new home in a senior living facility, she made a seamless transition and quickly made friends. And her surprise “95th” birthday party was a highlight of her fourteen-month residence there. Her new home brought such joy to her. Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Linda and husband, Chauncey Jones of Coralville, Iowa; granddaughters Greta Jones of Henderson, Nevada, Amelia, and husband, Aaron Hainaut of Colleyville, Texas; great-granddaughters Anya Mae, Amina Pearle, and Aveline Violette Hainaut; numerous nieces and nephews both in the U.S. and Sweden. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Jack in 2009, her parents-in-law, Harold and Pearle Kaufman; sisters Elsie (Einer) Hansen, Edna (Gene) Sherer, Elayne (Everett) Grapenthin, Vera (Frank) Miller, and JoAnn (Dale) Heppler; brother Stanley (Delores) Johnson; sister-in-law, Marjorie Clough and husband, Roy Clough; nephew Gary Hansen; niece Kerry (Clough) Petersen.

Vivian Kaufman

March 7, 1927 - December 31, 2022