Violet Scowden

All who knew Violet Scowden would agree that she was truly beautiful on the inside and out. She was one of the sweetest people around, yet she could also get a bit sassy when she wanted to. Violet treasured her roles as a wife and mother, but she would tell you that nothing was better than becoming a grandmother to the grandchildren she treasured. Guided by her unwavering faith, she lived to love and serve others in ways both great and small. Life will never be the same without Violet here, but she leaves behind a timeless legacy that her loved ones will proudly carry on in her footsteps.

Life during the 1930s was anything but easy as the Great Depression covered our nation and much of the world like a wet blanket throughout the entire decade. Jobs were scarce, the unemployment rate soared, and things only became more dire as a drought covered our nations heartland for nearly two years during this time. Despite the challenges around them, James August and Ethel Mae (Davis) Bess were able to shift their focus to an exciting time in their own lives as they were eagerly awaiting the birth of their new baby as February dawned in Sturdivant, Missouri, in 1934. The big day finally arrived on February 7th when the baby girl they named Violet made her arrival. She was one of four children in the Bess clan as she was joined in her family by her brothers, Roy and Harold, and her sister, Lu.

In many ways Violet was a young woman of her generation. Her father worked as a logger and farmer who moved around to where there was work, which meant that their family moved around. Violet was a hard worker as a young girl, helping out around her familys home. This was a value that she passed on to her own daughters later in life. By the age of 19, Violet married Jack Scowden. He was in the United States Army, and they moved from Dexter, Missouri, down to Alabama to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and then to Owensboro, Kentucky. Once his time in the military was fulfilled, the family moved to the Columbia City area in 1965. Together she and Jack were blessed to welcome two daughters including Jackie and Sharon into their hearts and home.

In addition to tending to the need of her family, Violet worked outside of the home as well. She spent some time working in various local donut shops before moving to Indiana. Once living in Whitley County, Violet spent a short time working at Blue Bell. After that, she worked nearly 30 years at Weatherhead. Vacations from work and holidays were usually spent visiting her family back in Missouri. Violet retired in the mid-nineties as she went back to Missouri to care for her mother who became ill.

Throughout her life there was nothing Violet treasured more than her family. When grandchildren arrived later in life, she couldnt have been more thrilled. They were the light of Violets life, and she was forever wanting to be in the know about what was going on in their lives. Whenever she was talking with her daughters, her grandchildren always came up in conversation so she could keep up with what was going on with them. Violet had fantastic skills in the kitchen, and among the family favorites were her biscuits and gravy, her French toast, and lemon meringue pie. She enjoyed feeding people and was more than willing to make them whatever they wanted as a way of letting them know how special they were to her.

A woman of many interests, Violet was a busy woman. She had a strong Christian faith and attended several local churches in Columbia City. When she became more limited later in life and not quite as mobile, she still watched church services from her television. Always on the lookout for a deal, Violet liked thrift shopping and going to garage sales. Someone who was social and outgoing, Violet enjoyed socializing with her friends at the senior center and going to local lunches on Wednesday with her friends.

Warm, outgoing, and kindhearted with just the right amount of spunk mixed in, Violet Scowden was a blessing in the lives of all who were near. She was the sort of person who never met a stranger, and a stranger was never a stranger for long. Violet could be a bit sassy and jokingly enjoyed her one line jabs while at the same time she was always respectful of others. She treasured her family, and there was nothing that made her more proud than witnessing her family tree blossom to include new branches of loved ones. Deeply loved, Violet will be forever missed.

Violet Scowden, of Columbia City, Indiana, was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on Wednesday, December 28, 2016, at Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home. Violets family includes her daughters, Jackie (John) Woodmansee, of Huntington and Sharon (Craig) Bickel, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; brother, Roy Bess, of St. Louis, Missouri; sister, Lu (Buddy) Black, of Kennesaw, Georgia; grandchildren, Caleb Bickel, Noel Bickel and Jacob Bickel; step-grandchildren, Joel Woodmansee and Sharaya (Evan) Sommers; niece, Heidi Kreikemeier; and nephew, Skot Scott. Violet was preceded in death by her father, August Bess; mother, Ethel Ellis; brother, Harold August Bess; and nephew, Ken Kreikemeier, Jr.

A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, January 5, 2017, with a gathering an hour prior at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Rev. Craig Bickel will be officiating. Violet will be laid to rest at South Park (Annex) Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given in her memory to a local church or food pantry of the donors choice. To send Violets family online condolences, visit www.demoneygrimes.com .