Wynona Rose Viney

Wynona Rose Viney, known to friends and family as "Noni," passed away at 8:05 p.m. on December 5, 2009 at her home in Fort Collins, Colorado. For two years she had been in declining health, though in generally good spirits. Noni was born November 19, 1934 in Wichita, Kansas, to Herbert Burdett "H.B." and Eda "Pearl" Wentworth. She is preceded in death by her parents and by her only sibling, Virginia "Ginny" Jones. Noni attended East High School in Wichita, Kansas. A highly gifted pianist, she played piano for the annual performance of Handel's "Messiah" at East High. At 17, Noni was on the payroll as the pianist at Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita. In her junior year she was a member of the National Honor Society. She married Wayne Viney in Wichita on February 23, 1952; the couple moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma shortly thereafter. During her early years in Oklahoma, she played piano for three Baptist congregations. She passed the GED exam in the fall of 1953 and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in Music Education in 1960. From 1956 until 1966 the family lived in Midwest City, Oklahoma where Noni was employed giving private piano lessons to thirty students and as the head music teacher at Traub Elementary School. While at Traub, she directed three large musical programs: "The Music of Stephen Collins Foster," "South Pacific," and "Oklahoma." Noni and Wayne have been residents of Fort Collins since 1966. Noni taught for the Head Start Pre-School Program in Poudre School District from 1969 until 1998. Her teaching certificate shows specialties in both music education and early childhood development. She had over sixty hours of graduate credit in the latter subject at Oklahoma City University, the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and at Colorado State University. Noni is survived by her husband, Wayne, of Fort Collins and by two sons and their wives: Don Viney and Maeve Cummings of Pittsburg, Kansas and Mike Viney and Mary Klass, of Fort Collins. Noni's immediate family includes four grandchildren and two great grandchildren: Jenny and Walter Smith and their daughter Allie Michelle Smith, of Kyle, Texas; Seth Viney and Terace Solomon and their son Ari Michael Viney of Fort Collins; Marcus Viney of Fort Collins, and his fiancée Katie Hartmann; and Thomas Viney of Boulder, Colorado. Noni was a strong supporter of the First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins for over forty-one years. In lieu of flowers, family members ask that contributions be made to one of the causes that Noni supported: Paralyzed Veterans of America, Pathways Hospice, or the First United Methodist Church. Memorial donation may be made in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. A celebratory service will be held Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM in the sanctuary at the First United Methodist Church, 1005 Stover. Rev. Charles Schuster will officiate. A reception will follow immediately after the service.