Viola Stanford Obituary

My remembrance of my mother:

I can’t think of any quick, succinct way to sum up Mom. She loved her family, her cabin, and Pepsi. Most family photos of her include a Pepsi bottle. She was more comfortable taking care of us than accepting care. She was a private person, who didn’t often speak about herself. She was always ‘Mom’, and only in recent years did I begin to wonder about ‘Viola.’ I caught occasional glimpses of her as an individual, but I didn’t get to know her nearly as well on that level as I would have liked.

Mom was probably about 24 and a newly minted nurse when she left her home town in Anderson, South Carolina to join the Air Force. I asked her once why she did, and she said her friend was going in so she did too. I don’t recall her friend’s name, but I know Mom was still in touch with her even at the end of her life.

She joined, went through Officer Candidate School and then was stationed at Ellington Field in Houston, TX, where she worked in the base hospital. She met my father, a young airman, when he was hospitalized with mumps. Their courtship must have been brief, and they married in a small ceremony in 1954.

Mom raised three children. Though she always made certain to assure all teachers that corporal punishment was OK with her, I think it was more for our benefit. She figured we’d be more likely to toe the line if we thought ANY adult could correct improper behavior. And she was quick to correct us, telling us to stop “showing out.” (Our friends showed off; we showed out.)

Of course, although we were delightful and well-behaved children, there were some instances of ‘showing out.’ One time, Bill and Lewis strung a zip line between two trees and rode down it, hanging on to a meat hook with a pulley wheel on top. They rode down the first time successfully, so they asked Dad to film the next attempt. However, this time they jumped up slightly when leaving the ladder. The pulley wheel disengaged from the cable, and they both came crashing to the ground. Lew hurt his back, and the heavy meat hook hit Bill, opening a gash in the back of his head. Mom, whose mantra through all childhood injuries was “Don’t bleed on the carpet,” was laughing too hard to even tell them that they shouldn’t have been showing out.

But no one was more steadfast in the defense of her children, and no one did more for us. When my brother’s foot was injured (he got his toes caught in the spokes of my bicycle and I pedaled harder to overcome the resistance), she pulled him to school in a wagon. When she took me to college and found there was to be a formal reception that evening for new freshmen, she offered to take me shopping for formal attire. Anyone who knows me knows I didn’t want to go to any event requiring formal attire, but I never forgot the gesture—an extravagance for our frugal family and totally unexpected. Later she made my wedding dress.

Mom had an indomitable spirit. She patiently dealt with all adversity. A dying car battery in the dead of winter meant getting up every hour to start the car. Waterproofing the basement wall of the cabin with a tar-like coating and no proper clean up facilities meant driving home with baggies on her hands. I don’t think anything ever stopped her from doing something she had decided to do.

Even in her last days, she never gave up the fight. She wanted to get better. To get well enough to return home. And I think she wanted to return to taking care of her family rather than receiving care from us. That was her legacy to us—to persevere, to follow through in any endeavor, and never to give up hope.

I was so sorry to hear of Viola's passing. I didn't know her long but she was such a joy to visit. Meeting her family was a wonderful side benefit. At times my job is tough..but meeting wonderful people like Viola and all of you makes it worth it. God Bless all of you. You are in my prayers.

To the Stanfords: I am so sorry to hear this. Mrs. Stanford was always one of the nicest moms on Lafayette Rd. She always welcomed all us noisy kids into the house and I remember she would feed us pancakes. We Scanlon kids played and played with the Stanford kids, so this saddens me. We lost our mom almost 3 years ago.

June, I have thought of you so often over the years--just a few days ago, in fact.

Sue (Scanlon) Nanninga

Bill,
Please accept our heartfelt condolences. Viola touched the lives of everyone she met and her legacy of love, compassion, and hope will continue. Take comfort knowing the world became a better place because of Viola Stanford.

Gramee was one of the most caring people I have known. From the very beginning, she accepted me as part of the family, with no reservations. I am richer for having known her

"We were so blessed to get to know Viola in recent years. She was a very special lady and will be very much missed by so many. Our prayers are with Bill and the rest of her family during this difficult time." John and Marilyn Souders ( Cedar Hill, TX)

June and Murel,
I'm so sorry to hear of your Mom's passing but so glad you were by her side June. My deepest sympathies to the entire family!

You have our deepest sympathy, someone so special can never be forgotten. We are very saddened to hear of your loss.

Our deepest sympathies.

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

I Love you Mom, I will cherish every moment I had with you.