4/25/14

Aunt Viola's Violet Veranda and Her Verbose Niece

AtoZ Challenge...Letter V's fiction from forgotten fotos

 Viola was my Daddy's older sister who raised him after their mother left Texas for the wilds of Alaska.  That was in 1936 when leaving husband and six children was unheard of, but it happened and Viola, at 16, took over the raising of her five siblings. 

By the time Viola married, it would be safe to say she was in no hurry to have children, but her practiced and natural need to raise and nurture was not wasted.  She became a Violacea Horticulturist.

Although, not formally educated, she was well known in a Violacea Research Study for her contributions in the search for a safe and effective medication for EPP.  Her interest was two fold in the study known as the Violet Petal Study. First, she was the propagator of the primary African Violet used in the study, and secondly, she was barren.

By the time Viola and her husband decided to have children, she was unable to conceive due to severe endometriosis.  Thus, the interest and participation in the study of violet petals in the medical and pharmaceutical research field. 

Viola loved children and wanted one to raise as her own, and a niece would do fine.  So one summer while visiting Vi's Violet Veranda on vacation,  Vi and Vern made my folks...parents of four...a generous offer to keep forever my mouthy Second Sibling Sister. 

I voted Yay...Mom and Dad said Nay, but let her stay a couple of weeks with them. 

Best I remember, Aunt Vi was more than glad for her to remain my SecondSiblingSister ....instead becoming my SiblingSisterCousin. Something about...with the 'mouthpiece' around, there wasn't any need to turn on the radio, and getting a word in edgewise was like having a conversation with the six o'clock news caster.

So Aunt Viola and Uncle Vern's front porch went back to being
"The Quiet Violet Veranda"

6 comments:

  1. That's quite a story, Vi was obviously very special; but her mother...wow, who leaves a husband and children and just goes...kinda crazy.

    Sandy at Traveling Suitcase

    ReplyDelete
  2. love this story with excellent V words.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your family stories are so rich...I love finding out stuff like that. It brings people to life from their pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What Sandy said--especially in 1936! Great story! I bet you have quite the collection of them, Sue! How have you been? I wondered if you were AtoZ-ing this year.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would have voted Yay too. Unfortunately, parents never let us make the decision. I understand the feeling, I often tried to give my brother away. Great story. Viola's are great people.

    http://yeakleyjones.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sweet and sad all at once. But why would I expect anything else from Sue?
    Wendy at Jollett Etc.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your visit & comment. I'd love to return the visit...please leave your LINK or click on over and comment on Where Bluebonnets Grow.