Vivian Mae (Smith) Dodge was born at home on Blue Ridge in the Township of Arena on January 8, 1918 to William and Mabel (Anderson) Smith. She died at age 102 on May 18. 2020.

Vivian graduated from Arena High School in 1934, attended Iowa County Teacher's Normal School in Dodgeville and taught in one-room schools for 11 years. She married Gaylord O. Dodge on May 24, 1940 and they made their home at their farm on Dodge Road in the Town of Arena. They had two daughters, Joan and Gayle. Gaylord and Vivian had been married for 48 years at the time of his death in 1988.

Vivian was an avid gardener and loved canning and preserving her fresh garden produce. She was an excellent seamstress and was the sewing leader for the Coon Rock 4-H Club for many years. She also belonged to the Coon Rock Homemakers Club and was active in the Iowa County Homemakers Assn. Vivian was a member of the Arena Congregational Church, taught Sunday School and was a member of its Volunteer Missionary Society. In later years she volunteered as a reader for the Head Start Program at the Arena Grade School and became active with the Arena Historians. Vivian loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them, teaching them how to make lefse, preserve food, make bread, play cards and other games.

She is survived by her children, Joan (Gary) Baker and Gayle (Gary) Harrop, grandchildren Brent Baker, Angela (Jason) Anstice, Tiffany Baker, Neil (Leah) Harrop and Seth Harrop, great grandchildren, Nahaila Baker, Jaden Anstice, Trey and Tyson Theobald, Jonathon and Ashlynn Hannah, Jace and Tate Harrop, good friends Sharon Craney and Derold Hickox and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband and parents, Vivian was preceded death by her brother and sister-in-law William and Virginia Smith, her sisters and brothers-in-law, Shirley and Edward Lindroth, Annie and Leroy Kelly, Fern and Glen Frame, Velma and Clarence Zwiefel and an infant brother Carol LaVerne.

The family extends appreciation to The Meadows in Spring Green for the care they provided Vivian over the past two years.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. – Dr. Seuss