Obituary of Violet Ruth Hawkins

Violet Ruth Hawkins Violet was born Oct. 30, 1932, in Lady Smith, Wisconsin and died Apr. 24, 2022. The family, including her six siblings moved to Sandy, Oregon where she graduated from Sandy High School. She went to work at a Nabisco factory where she met a janitor, Burt Hawkins and he swept her off her feet. They married on June 16, 1951 and lived in Oregon where their sons Phil and Mike were born. The family moved to Georgia and Alabama where Burt sold heavy equipment. Violet enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom, gardening, doing crafts, reading and playing bridge. The family moved to Spokane in 1969 and Burt and Vi spent many happy years donating their time to the Shriner Children’s Hospital. They were involved in many aspects of the hospital and Vi enjoyed volunteering in the kitchen. She was instrumental in establishing the Elephant Ear booth at the fair. She made many batches of Elephant Ear dough in her kitchen until they reached perfection. The booth has been a source of income for the Shrine Hospital for many years. Violet was a member of the Ladies of the Oriental Shrine and served as High Priestess. She is proceeded in death by her husband Burt, her son Phil, her brothers Eugene and Leroy and her sister Ann. She is survived by her son Mike, daughter-in-law Sue and her sisters Harriet, Jan and Margaret. The family would like to thank The Lodge in Post Falls for their loving care during the last 3 ½ years. Also, a very special thank you to the Hospice House of North Idaho for providing peace and comfort in her final days. There will be a private family burial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Shriner’s Children Hospital in Spokane and to note the donation for Violet and Burt Hawkins.