Vivian Lucille Mahon

Vivian Lucille Mahon passed away March 8, 2014, after a short illness. Funeral services will be Wednesday, March 12 at 1 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church, South Sioux City, Nebraska. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Arrangements are under the direction of Mohr Funeral Home in South Sioux City, NE.She was preceded in death by her parents and four siblings, her husband, Francis J. Mahon and her eldest daughter, Joan F. Mittelsdorf. She is survived by her daughter Jean Mahon, her daughter Joyce Reimer and her husband Don and their children Sam, Adam and Ben, her son Ed Mahon and his wife Marcia and their children Zach and Cole.Vivian Mahon was born Vivian Pederson on November 17, 1918, to Peder and Valborg Pederson of Revere, Minnesota. She grew up in Revere, Minnesota during the great depression and excelled in school.She got a teaching certificate and taught in a one room rural school house to earn money to further her education and get a degree. At Winona State College she was in a work study program putting herself through college. She was valedictorian of her class and garnered top honors graduating summa cum laude. Her course of studies included the arts, painting, and elementary education.Upon graduation she joined the Sioux City school district as a teacher. Through her career she taught all levels from kindergarten through junior high, but her main love was elementary art education. She specialized in this area until her retirement, taking her students to regional and national awards in art with their work featured in numerous publications and calendars.While teaching she met and married Francis Mahon and had four children: Joan, Jean, Joyce and Edward.Her hobbies included sewing, cross word puzzles, reading, belonging to book clubs, and painting watercolors. She was a Brownie leader, and long time 4-H leader.She was a member of St Paul United Methodist Church of South Sioux City, Nebraska, where she was a member of Naomi Circle. She took great pride in making greeting cards with her lady friends.