Viola Mae (Ashton) Brown

Viola Mae Ashton Brown, 99, of Idaho Falls, passed away October 30, 2022, at Lincoln Court Retirement Community.

On May 31, 1923, Viola was born in Adelaide, Idaho, a small town located north of Rupert, which she claimed was just a speck by the side of the railroad tracks. She was the daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Klebe Ashton, living through the depression years in the newly developing Idaho.

She graduated from Paul High School where she was the Student Body President for two years. She played basketball on the main string for four years. She worked for Comstock in Paul for five years and babysat for many families while attending school.

She married the love of her life, Keith Brown, in 1942, and became an instant war bride. Their travels took them from coast to coast many times.

They moved to Kimberly, Idaho, in 1951, where Keith was employed by Arrington Farms and Viola worked a variety of jobs. She wore many hats which included being a clerk, house cleaner, florist, and working long hours in the fields. She was a rural mail carrier for 21 years. She belonged to local and state Granges for 30 years and held many offices. Viola was a member of the Kimberly and Paul Methodist Churches and WaterSprings in Idaho Falls.

The one accomplishment that she made to better humanity, for which she was most grateful and proud of was getting a school started in Twin Falls, Idaho, for the developmentally delayed. Mrs. Alta Hill and Mrs. Louise Williams of Buhl, Idaho, and Viola, met and started the “Council for Retarded Children” in 1961. After two years of hard work, a classroom was finally acquired at Harrison School in Twin Falls, Idaho. Mrs. Coxen was their first teacher. This proved to be a precursor for the aid of all developmentally handicapped in Magic Valley today. The election of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, who had a handicapped sister, helped people to understand the capabilities of these wonderful people.

During her trek of 99 years, she witnessed everything from sagebrush turning into fields of green and mankind landing on the moon to telephones you can hold in your hand and electric cars. She had an inquisitive mind and was always interested in learning about the wonders of the world.

Viola and Keith moved to their “Acre of Sunshine” in Hansen, which brought them many years of happiness. So many blessings came with this home and the adventures that followed. Family visits, playing games, canning, taking long rides, which included venturing off the main road to see where this new road would lead them and what they might discover. There was gardening, fishing, smoking fish, hunting, going south in the winter, and hunting for arrowheads in the deserts. Viola loved to read and learn whatever she could, especially about history. She enjoyed daily crossword puzzles from the newspaper. Her daughters believed this helped keep her mind as sharp as a tack! She enjoyed sewing quilts with her mother and giving them to her daughters. She made her daughters’ bridesmaid dresses, as well as all their floral decorations. She loved crafting, which included carving wooden birds and bird houses, painting them with her personal finishing touch.

She was a fantastic, remarkable cook! She could prepare a feast fit for a king with nothing in the refrigerator. And talk about the best divinity and peanut brittle with coconut around!

She was so proud of her five daughters, Gaynl, Shirlene, Linda, Kathy, and Karla. She loved teaching us about canning, cooking, cleaning, churning butter. Yeah . . . churning butter!  Mom was a great believer in saving and managing money for a rainy day. She taught us the meaning of family and always being there for one another.

Viola is survived by her daughters, Shirlene (Bob) Messner, Linda (Burt) Black, Kathy (Rob) Sherman, Karla (Greg) Scott; 8 grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandchild; and sister, Betty Trabert.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Keith; daughter, Gaynl; grandson, Aaron; great-great granddaughter, Regan; brother, Lester; and four younger brothers and one sister.

We send her off with the belief that her ride to heaven will be a glorious one!

Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 5, 2022, at Wood Funeral Home East Side, 963 S. Ammon Road. A graveside service will be held Saturday, November 12, 2022, at the Paul Cemetery.