Viki Raydell (Wentz) Heffern

Viki Raydell Heffern passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2020 with her loving husband and children by her side after a very brief but courageous battle with lung cancer.  She was 56 years old.

Viki was born on November 16th, 1963 in Danville to Lois Ann (York) and Christian A. Wentz.  She married the love of her life Harold E. Heffern on December 9th, 1994 and they have spent the last 32 years together.  Also surviving are her two daughters, Alisha (Derek) Rhoden of Georgetown, Katie (Justin) Bonomo of Ogden, one step-daughter, Tisha (Mark) Helmuth of Newman, and two brothers, Robert (Kim) Wentz of Elkhorn, WI, and Richard (Patty) Wentz of Kansas City, KS.  She was a loving Mamaw/Mimi to her five grandchildren, Dalton, Dylan, Chloe, Wyatt, and Harper.  Also surviving is her step-father Harvey Bolfing, of Wichita, KS who raised her for many years.  She also leaves behind two very special friends, Jaimie Porter and Cris Moulton, and her beloved Cocker Spaniel Sadie Mae.  She was preceded in death by her parents and two infant sisters.

The family moved around a lot due to her Dad being in the Air Force, but she spent most of her childhood in Danville.  She also lived in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and California before moving back to Danville in 1988.  She drove a school bus for District 118 for several years and worked at the Commercial News as a residential newspaper carrier in the Bismarck/Alvin area.  She was affectionately known as everyone’s “Paper Lady” and you would often find her stopped on the side of the road shooting the breeze with one of her customers.  She also drove a school bus for Bismarck school district until her own children graduated from high school.  She loved all the kids on her bus and referred to them as “her kids”.  She got a kick out of seeing them out and about once they were all grown up with their own families.  Most recently, she worked as a Dispatcher for Cris Rural Mass Transit for over 10 years until the beginning of this year when her health prevented her from working. 

Viki was a very outgoing person.  She enjoyed gardening and planting flowers, cooking for her family, especially on holidays, canning vegetables in the summer, reading, cross-stitch, diamond paintings, playing Bingo, bowling, and traveling—especially to Canada every year to go fishing with her husband, many overnight and weekend trips with her girls, and most recently spending a week with her best friend out in Reno, NV.  When her children were little, she enjoyed going camping at Mill Creek.  She loved family game nights, especially playing Trivial Pursuit and Euchre.  She won every single time and was never afraid to brag about it.  She also enjoyed hunting in the fall, and was very proud the year she shot the biggest buck out of all the men.  She was a proud fan of the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco 49ers.  She loved crocheting blankets for family and friends, and was always excited to be making a blanket for a new baby.  She enjoyed life, and had fun living it. Her greatest joy was spending quality time with her family; that was the most important thing in her life.  She was a wonderful loving wife, a caring devoted mother, and the most special, fun grandmother who will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Per her wishes, she will be cremated and there will be a celebration of life held at a later date.

The family would like to thank Dr. Rowland and his staff at Carle Cancer Center for taking such great care of her, as well as Carle Hospice for the compassion and care provided to her the last few weeks. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Viki’s name to the Mills Breast Cancer Institute or the American Lung Association.

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