Viva Hauber

Viva (Fries) Hauber, 101, of Burke, South Dakota, was welcomed into Heaven on November 18, 2024 at the Community Memorial Hospital in Burke.

Viva was born January 18, 1923 in Bay City, Oregon, to Mary (Fischler) Fries and Harvey Clifton Fries. She graduated from Bay City High School in 1940 and was Valedictorian of her class. 

She married Clinton Rupert Holmes in July of 1941 and to this union two children were born, Mary Louise (Holmes) Hauber in September of 1942 and Linda Kay (Holmes) Griffith in September of 1946. They lived on a ranch near Hulett, Wyoming.

In April of 1959, she married Walter Richards in Empire, Oregon and they lived in North Bend, Oregon. To this union one child was born, Dale Warren Richards, in February of 1960.

In August of 1968 she moved back to Devils Tower, Wyoming and married Maurice Edward Hauber. They resided on the family ranch until 1972 when they retired to a home on Lytle Creek, east of Devils Tower.

They then moved to Hulett in 1991. After Maurice passed away in February of 2000, Viva moved outside of Moorcroft, Wyoming, to be near her daughter Linda.

In May of 2021, she moved to Burke near her granddaughter, Tina. She lived in Burke until her passing. 

Viva loved to travel and some of her adventures included fishing trips to Alaska with Maurice, visiting Australia and New Zealand, a trip to England to see her great-grandson, Andew, while he was stationed there in the Air Force, and even across the world to visit her granddaughter, Tara, when she was living in Malaysia. 

She loved to sew, quilt, do crafts and many other creative things. Many family members were gifted with her homemade treasures.

She also loved to cook and bake and shared her recipes and skills with others. She especially loved the game of Pitch and she and Maurice spent many hours playing cards with friends.

In her later years, she took up Hardanger, a Norwegian embroidery that is very intricate, making several beautiful pieces that will be treasured by her family.

She spent many enjoyable hours with her fellow crafters at the Civic Center in Hulett. She had a wicked sense of humor and you never quite knew what she might say next!

She loved her family deeply and enjoyed attending the various school and sports activities of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; seven brothers and sisters; son, Dale Richards; son-in-law, Otis Griffith and son-in-law, Howard Hauber. 

She is survived by her two daughters, Mary Hauber of Burke and Linda Griffith of Moorcroft; eight grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Viva were held on Saturday, November 23, 2024 at the Baptist Church in Hulett. Burial followed at the Hulett Cemetery.