Bella's dream as told to her Mama:

"I had a dream about Grandma Vi who died and then she came alive. I was so happy and I gave her a hug and her kitty cat liked me again and she didn't scratch me".

Bella McComb, 5 years old

Violet loved gardens. She particularly liked old fashioned cottage style flowers and plants. So it was natural for Vi to volunteer to plant and maintain a small garden area at her church, Glendale Lutheran in Burien.  The "small"  garden area assigned to her was a rather large, weedy, dry island in the middle of the parking lot.  It had a couple  of trees and some shrubs and lots of weeds. Oh... and no water source. This did not daunt Vi. Where we saw too much hard work, she saw an opportunity to give.

With her usual determination and some help from her family, she was able to transform this dry patch into a haven for butterflies, bees, and ladybugs. She filled the garden with flower and plant transplants from her own yard. Foxglove, lavender, orange poppies, sedums, rockery plants, strawberry plants, daisys and her namesake plant, violets. During the hot summers, she carted gallon jugs of water from her home to her fledging garden to feed her thirsty plants. Yards of bark mulch were spread to try and keep the weeds from emerging. Her children tried to tell her that this garden was too much to manage, but she only laughed and saw it as a labor of love.

Last week I was driving by Glendale Lutheran Church and a bright color of orange caught my eye. I looked over to see Vi's Garden, brilliant and glorious. I   parked and walked over to the garden.  I saw orange poppies waving their colorful petals in the breeze,  foxglove standing straight and pink, white daisys, yellow pea flowers, red ripe strawberries and....violets. Vi's Garden had matured and grown into a beautiful oasis for all to enjoy.

As I was admiring the garden,  I noticed a woman and some children playing nearby. The woman walked over to me and asked if she could help me. I explained that my mother-in-law had recently passed away and that I was just visiting the garden that she had so lovingly created.

The woman then told me that the children love to come into the garden and spend time there. They dig for worms, look at the flowers and watch the ladybugs and the bees. The children released butterflies there too. I told the woman that Vi would be so pleased to know that little ones are playing in her garden!

I picked a strawberry and ate it. It was so sweet and good. Thank you, Mom. Your garden is beautiful!

I took this picture on my 18th birthday..one of the last times i saw her

Dear Karen, Debbie, Tim and Mike:

Words cannot truly express how much I appreciate the very gracious gift of the daffodil plate.  To have something that Vi treasured is extremely meaningful to me, as she was extremely meaningful to me.  Debbie, I'm especially grateful to you since you had once gifted the beautiful plate to Vi.  I feel it is one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received, and I will treasure it always.  That you all wanted me to have this as a reminder of your mom, is a true reflection of her legacy in raising you all.

Rest assured, I will find a special place in our home to hang it and where I will look at it every day and lovingly think of Vi.  It will be a constant reminder to me to be the kind of friend and neighbor to others, that Vi was to us. 

Ted and I continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers.  We continue to wish you peace and comfort.  I hope that spring brings you happier days and in the meantime, I close this note to you all with the following from William Wordsworth:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Oh, the many times Violet told me..."Linda, call me Vi". Since I can ever remember I have always called her Mrs. McComb. Growing up it was expected that children called their elders by their formal name out of respect, so that was the way I knew to call her...to me it was "my normal". A few years back I stopped by for a visit or something, popping my head in to call out "Mrs. McComb, I'm here!" She said something like...Linda, call me Vi - we're not too different, you and I, we both have grown children and white hair. Wow, I felt honored to know that she thought of me as an equal and I was finally able to (grow up and) call her “Vi”.

Violet was always someone I could look up to, someone I could count on, and she always exceeded my expectations, just like her daughter, Debbie, does. God Bless Violet and all her wonderful family.

Violet & I lived in the "North end" of Hoquiam, and we spent many hours together.  When we were in the 9th grade, we decided to spend our baby sitting money on school clothes in Seattle.  Our transportation was Violet's dad's fish truck, as he was delivering fresh fish to markets in Seattle.  Dressed in our best clothes, including our best hats, we emerged from the truck in front of the Bon Marche.  Her dad stated he would park in front of a certain store (can't remember which one, but it was high-end) to pick us up at a certain time.  We shopped all day (it happened to be one of the summer's hottest days), and arrived at the parked truck at the appointed time.  Even as we neared the meeting place, the smell was very "fishy".  Several store personnel were arguing with Violet's dad, trying to convince him to move the smelly truck, and he was just quietly standing by the truck, smiling his shy smile, explaining he couldn't leave his two girls stranded!!  We were so proud of him!!!  This evening as I am writing this story, I can only imagine the picture we made.......two young girls in fancy hats hugging the "fish man dressed in smelly overalls" while the crowd, holding their noses, looked on!!

Dear Family of Vi:

It was with the fondest memories of Vi, that we read her obituary this weekend.  You chose the most wonderful picture of her; it communicates through her smile, everything we knew Vi to be.   From the first day we moved in next door, she treated us like family and we had many very happy and fun times at her home. It was through her that we’ve come to love you all and we remain grateful to her for the experience of having her share her family with us. 

I’m not sure that many would remember Vi specifically for her comedic side, but there were times when she made us laugh.  One spring day, she saw me outside contemplating the daffodils in my yard.  Seeing me perplexed, Vi asked, “Barb, what are you looking at?”  I responded by telling her that I couldn’t figure out what I’d done wrong, as the daffodils were facing the wrong direction.  She looked at me, smiled and kindly asked, “Didn’t you know that daffodils always shine their faces toward the sun?”  I remember the feeling of the light bulb going on, and she must have noticed too, because we both laughed.   She then lovingly put her arm around my shoulder, gave me a squeeze and said, “Maybe next year you should try tulips.” 

Then, of course, I think Vi even made herself laugh each time she proclaimed, “This will be the year I clean out my garage.”  I don’t know if that ever got done, but if it didn’t it was because she chose to spend her time with the family instead, a much better use of precious time. 

I will remember Vi as loving, thoughtful, sincere, genuine, caring and all about her family.  She lived her life according to her values and purpose.  I don’t know that there is a better measure of a woman or a neighbor.  This year when my daffodils come up, I’ll plant Violets around them, and when they shine their faces toward the sun, I’ll lovingly think of Vi.  We remain thankful for the good fortune of moving next door to her and her wonderful family and we look forward to being her neighbor again some day. 

We wish you peace and thank you for letting us share our memories of this truly wonderful woman and for sharing her with us.  Love Ted and Barb

Violet was the best aunt ever!  It was always wonderful to spend time with the family as she always made us feel like we were her own. Growing up with Mike, Tim, Debbie and Karen we were always included in what was going on; movies, camping, homemade ice cream, or just staying overnight in the bedroom upstairs.  Oh, she could cook!

She always made us feel safe. I don’t remember where we were going but we were in a very bad car accident.  Aunt Violet was driving and the weather was bad.  We hit a car stalled on the freeway. Violet's first concern was that all of us kids were ok.  She never led on that she was hurt and made us feel that all was good. The highway patrol came to her window and asks if we were all ok and Violet responded, "yes, but I think I broke my foot". I had no idea. You would have never known she was hurt. She was one of the strongest and caring ladies I have ever known.

She played a big part in my life and who I am.  She loved her family and she loved life. She really loved Pam and me. I feel so blessed to have had her in my life.

Steve 

If anyone knows more about this picture please share the details.How old was Violet, where was the picture taken? Found in her box of mementos.