Our mother, Violet, passed away in May of 2003. She died peacefully in her home, sitting at her computer winning a game of Hearts. She would have been 75 in August.

Mom is buried in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She shares the plot with her Father and Mother. There was a service in Phoenix, where she lived.

Although Mom had some difficult periods recently, she had many pleasant times as well. She liked traveling and was planning another trip east this summer. She was working on several projects around her home, both inside and out. Mom had her carport floor replaced with fresh concrete and had added a security gate as well. She was starting to remove carpeting from the living room and install a wood floor on her own, and she had added plantings around the outside of her house. A palm tree she planted as a frond is now almost ten feet tall, her tomatoes are just starting to bear fruit, and her asparagus is coming up nicely. Her pomegranate tree is in full bloom ready to produce a good bit of fruit as well.

Mom loved watching the many birds she fed in the yard, (especially 'her' two hummingbirds!). She would give reports on the activities of these birds along with nest building and bird offspring updates. Bird friendly flowers were planted and several feeding stations were maintained.

Mom and Lady would frequently travel to some local mountain parks where Lady could run and mom could watch birds and other wildlife. Everything from chipmunks to rabbits were a highlight to the days outing.

In addition to wildlife, mom would watch hot air balloons whenever they were in season. She liked the graceful flight of these as they drifted across the sky. Even being afraid of heights, mom had always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon.

Other hobbies included staying sharp at crosswords and jigsaw puzzles, playing Scrabble and other board games, organizing items around the house, and caring for her cats and dog. Her dog Lady went with her wherever possible and enjoyed runs in the park and desert. Mom and Terry met for breakfast regularly, usually at a place called Alexi's, where she was obviously well liked and will be missed. She liked to play Pinochle with Terry and her brother Tom and family who also live in Phoenix.

Mom also loved her five grandchildren. She stayed with Bob and Louise in August and got to meet her then nine-month-old granddaughter Hollis for the first time, plus spend time with Nick, Lucas, Paige, and Bailey who have also visited her house. She liked to make Nestles toll house cookies and the kids loved to eat them. They've always referred to her as "Grandma Vi with the cookies!" Mom had very recent letters from the kids on the front of her entertainment center along with pictures throughout her house. She also talked with them all by phone just a week or so before her passing.

As a parent, mom believed in strong family values and the best interest of her children. Family vacations were frequent, including many short weekend trips to zoos, museums, parks, and campgrounds. Longer vacations included multiple state journeys that involved many places to visit. Some of these included visiting relatives or friends that had moved away.

On one of these trips, we were able to attend a live reenactment of the movie "Oklahoma!" performed at an outdoor theater near Oklahoma City. This was one of moms favorite movies and we both really enjoyed the performance. We didn't know this was available until during our trip.

Moms' career choice was being a registered nurse, which she performed for many years. She had an outstanding reputation with both patients and her coworkers as being a knowledgeable and caring person. She used some of that training to care for her own aging mother for several years.

Mom also performed many other jobs during her working years. While married, mom and dad ran a successful small resort by a lake. Between customers, mom performed housewife duties and spent much time with her two sons. She also worked at a bottle factory for awhile to supplement the family income.

Later in life, she drove the Head Start bus (a preschool) and volunteered several hours as a classroom assistant there. Mom had a strong desire to help children. She was responsible for building a childrens church group called GYP's (Gods Young People), which resulted in tripling attendance of kids in that church.

Mom also worked for a Dominoes Pizza branch, where she was involved with pizza making and delivery. For a short time, I also worked at the same place taking phone orders and assisting in pizza making. Sometimes we would work overlapping shifts and it was common to hand a freshly boxed pizza (which I helped make) off to my mom for delivery.

More recently, mom worked at a Circle K convenience store. She started as a clerk, but quickly became store manager. She enjoyed contact with both customers and coworkers. Vendors made mention of the difference in the store with a caring manager.

I will always miss my mom, but there is a great comfort in knowing she lived a full life. I cherish the memories of the many good times and family outings that made my childhood a very enjoyable event.

The following is the basic eulogy text from the service for mom. It was an emotional day for me, but I was proud to be able to deliver a tribute to mom in front of both family members and good friends. Mom is now watching over us from above, making sure God takes care of us and her hummingbirds.

I was having a lot of trouble finding the words to use to summarize the life of my mom, Violet. Then I heard the chorus of a song by Randy Travis that say, "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, but what you leave behind you when you go."

Mom left a part of herself behind in everybody she had contact with over the years. She set examples for her co-workers of strong work ethics, being a hard worker, and doing the job properly. She demonstrated strong moral values such as respect of others and knowing the difference between right and wrong. She showed her love for the welfare of others throughout her career as a registered nurse with a genuine desire to help people with physical and mental problems.

Mom really loved children and knew that they inherit the world that we leave them. She guided her GYP's (God's Young People) class at the Nazarene Church in Colorado, drove the bus and did much volunteer work for the Head Start program, and even bought toys and food for neighborhood kids in need. Mom raised her own two children mostly as a single parent, passing on her strong moral values and beliefs. She dearly loved her now five grandchildren who were the subject of most of her thoughts and comments in recent years.

Mom also loved God's creatures and creations. She has cared for many pets over the years, mostly being abandoned animals that 'adopted her' as their parent. She truly enjoyed watching flowers and birds, with hummingbirds being her favorite. She was happy to care for plants, especially those she raised from a seed to full maturity. But she also loved being in the wilderness to take in some of the wonderful things that God has provided naturally.

As many of you know, mom passed away at her computer while being ahead in a game of hearts. I am happy to know that my mom spent her last moments here doing something that she liked. And best of all, she left as a winner. Mom believed that if a person lives a good life here on earth, they go to "a better place". I believe with all of my heart that she is at that place now! I hope and pray that I can carry on the examples that mom left behind and someday will get to join her in that better place. This is the challenge to each of us here and it is truly the greatest gift that we could leave behind also.

Go to: