Violet Hazel Simons
Violet Hazel Simons was born August 7, 1901 daughter of Elizabeth Jeannette and
George Simons in the family home north of Creston Washington. Just
fifteen months after her birth her mother died. This left a large family
of children devastated. George Sr. realizing he needed help to care
for his family hired a housekeeper, Jennie Keys-Louthain-Overbay. Jenny
was a widow struggling to care for her children in Virginia and she agreed to go
to Washington to care for George's family. She brought two of her
children, Glen and Amy with her. Her daughter Amy was just two years old,
about the same age as Violet, her
son Glen was a little older. He lived with neighbours George and Laura Callahon
[Gallavan?], while Amy stayed with her mother at the Simons house.
Violet remembered being a bit jealous
of Amy because Amy got a new store bought doll and she only had a corn husk doll. A year
after Jenny began working for the Simons family she and George
Simons married. It was not easy however to be accepted as a stepmother by so many children, especially
by the older children who remembered their own mother. What the relationship between the couple was has disappeared with
them but in 1910 just six years after their marriage George and Jennie were divorced.
Jennie moved with her daughter Amy into Creston.
From the 1910 US census we learn that George hired another cook, Margaret Manon
[?].
 |
|
R>L: Chester, Ernest, Minnie, George, Violet, Jeannette |
When Violet reached school age she attended Mountain View School not far from the family farm, along with her older brothers and sisters. She completed her elementary school in this one room school house. George Simons her father was on the school board. A story says that Jenny Simons named the school because from it was a clear view of Mt. Johnny George.
When Violet was 12 years her father suddenly became ill and was hospitalized in Spokane. He had some form of heart trouble. He continued to deteriorate and died November 18, 1913. At twelve years of age Violet had lost both of her parents. There is a story Violet took her bird and left the Blackfan place, walked down the road to the homestead log cabin where Violet’s brother, Elmer and his wife, Stella (Auntie Tot) lived and raised their family. Elmer and Tot continued to raise her. Where were the other younger children? George had left for Montana, Jeannette and Minnie would have been high-school age, and Chet was only fourteen.
When Violet was old enough to go to high school she boarded with a family in Creston and attended Creston High School. She school-chummed with her own sister, Elizabeth Jeanette (Tootsy) and Bea Kirby, Dode Gullickson and others I can’t name at the moment. These girls stayed friends for all their lives. However, when not in school she remained living with her brother Elmer and his family. In the 1920 US census Violet is listed as living in Elmer's home.
|
|
 |
|
Sacred Heart Hospital, 1889 |
After high school, Tootsy and Vi went to Cheney Normal School for a year or so
each. Jeannette was inspired to go into Spokane to the Sacred Heart Hospital
Nursing School. And Violet chose to follow her into nursing. Vi’s roommate at
Sacred Heart was Helen Boyle. Violet was influenced by the spirituality of the
Providence Sister of Charity who ran Sacred Heart Hospital. She decided to
take instructions in the Catholic faith. Asking her roommate to be her accomplice, she
attended instructions at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral in Spokane.
It was while Violet was studying nursing that Hilary Kunz was admitted to Sacred
Heart Hospital to have his appendix removed and Vi was his nurse. This is the
momentous occasion when the two met for the first time and began a long
relationship that was and is still enviable by all who knew them. Hilary was smitten with her sweet and beautiful nature. They dated
for a number of years.
On August 26, 1926, Hilary Michael Kunz and Violet Hazel Simons were joined in
holy matrimony at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Cathedral in Spokane, Washington.
They chose to be married at 7 AM because it was harvest season, it was their
concern that all the farm hands, friends and relatives who would be attending
the wedding needed to get back to the fields. Also Violet had attended early
masses at the hospital and didn't realize that a wedding mass could be later in
the day.
After completing her training Violet worked in the obstetric ward for several years with Sister Agnes, a Providence sister and a dear friend. Hilary taught English at Gonzaga High School for a few years until they were able to begin farming.
Continue reading about the life of Hilary and Violet Kunz.
Read the early history of Hilary Michael Kunz.
Read about the children of Violet and Hilary Kunz.
Return to the story of Violet's parents, George and Jeannette Simons.
Continue reading about the other children of George and Jeannette:
|
