Submitted by: Dan Rich

Violet Marian Mahnesmith

Oct. 19, 1923 - Dec. 15, 2008

South Bend Tribune 12/18/2008
SOUTH BEND - Violet Marian Mahnesmith, 85, of South Bend passed away at 12:40 p.m. Monday, December 15, 2008 in Rivercrest Specialty Hospital, Mishawaka. She was born October 19, 1923 in Kimmel, Indiana to the late Claude and Luella (Thatcher) Noe. On June 26, 1944 in Albion, IN, she married Carmen D. Mahnesmith, who survives. Mrs. Mahnesmith is also survived by two daughters, Marilyn (Dr. Thomas) Mahnesmith-Johnson of Auburn, IN and Dr. Carolyn (Dan) Balog of South Bend; son, Dr. Randolph C. (Kathy) Mahnesmith of Waynesboro, VA; five grandchildren, Gregory (Dr. April) Johnson, JD of Avon, IN, Randolph (Lia) Johnson of Columbus, OH, Dr. Staci-Marie (David) Norman of South Bend, Dr. Natali Marian (Mark Wenkus) Balog of South Bend and Ethan Randolph Mahnesmith of Washington, DC; four great grandchildren, Samantha Violet Johnson, Riley David Norman, Calla-Marie Norman and Amelia Marian Wenkus; four sisters, Alice Deetz of Helmer, IN, Margaret Leslie of Ligonier, Dorothy Wisniewski of Dowagiac and Sharon (John "Ray") Chenoweth of Mishawaka, and brother, Robert Noe of Ligonier. Her grandson, Matthew Martin Mahnesmith, sister, Claudine Bolin and three brothers, Norman, Ray and Roger Noe, preceded her in death. During World War II, Violet worked for the Department of the Navy in Norfolk, VA. In the following years, she worked when needed for her children's college. Her final position was assisting her daughter, Carolyn, in establishing her optometric practice in Bremen. Here she used her secretarial and bookkeeping abilities in addition to learning optometric skills. She loved her family and enjoyed cooking and baking for them. She also had a lifelong love of reading, crocheting, gardening, bird watching and playing piano. Mrs. Mahnesmith loved listening to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren practice their musical instruments and singing. She enjoyed fishing and swimming and taking the best care of the love of her life, her husband of sixty-four years, Carmen. She was also a member of the First Presbyterian Church, South Bend.