Violet Beatrice Douglass

Violet Beatrice Douglass, known as Vi, was born to Robert and Bertha Marken in Alberta Canada in December of 1918. She passed away on April 24, 2020. Quite soon after her birth, the family returned to their homestead near the town of Parshall, North Dakota. Violet and her brother, Walter, were put in the same class in school even though they were one year apart in age. They rode their horses to school where there were stalls for the students' horses to stay during the school day. When the snow was deep in the winter, a horse was harnessed to a sleigh, the kids were covered in blankets and the horse took them to school, knowing its way. Even as Vi aged into her late 90's, she talked often of losing her mother when she was 10 years old. Her mother was pregnant and getting near to the time of the birth, when her younger sister, Lilian (Lil), came to stay with the family to help out after the birth. Sadly, the baby died in utero unbeknownst to Bertha. She became very ill. Robert and Bertha began the long trip to the nearest hospital in Minot. They made it but Bertha died of sepsis. Vi's aunt Lil stayed on to care for the children and take on the chores of the woman of the house. After some months passed, Robert and Lil married. Around this same time, Robert lost the farm. It was the time of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. By the time Violet and Walter were in high school, the family had moved several times and were settled in Sannish, North Dakota. The story goes, that a friend of Robert's was living in Bend, Oregon and wrote to him to encourage him to move to Bend and take advantage of opportunities there. Just after Vi and Walt graduated from high school in 1936, the family packed up and moved to Bend. In Bend, Vi and Walt got jobs working at the Cozy Hotel on Greenwood near Bond Street. They lived and worked in the hotel. They checked the customers into the hotel as well as cleaning rooms and doing any other necessary work. The owners moved to the coast to open a motel and Vi became the manager of the Cozy in her late teens or early 20's. Since she lived and worked downtown, she began to attend the First Baptist church on Oregon Avenue within walking distance of the hotel. At the Baptist church, she met another Walter who was an usher there. She began to date Walter Douglass, known as Toof. They were married in 1941. She remained a devout Baptist the rest of her life. Vi gave birth to her only child, Virginia (Ginny), in 1945. She continued to work outside the home as well. She and Toof owned a store/gas station which Vi ran, she worked at Montgomery Wards and Sears. While acting as manager of Sears, she was approached by the owners of a new business, Bend Cable Co., to help them get started and to be their office manager. This was in 1955. She continued working there until the age of 80. During her working life, Vi also sewed all her daughter's clothes, kept an immaculate house and yard, cooked and canned. She and Ginny traveled to many places in the U.S. and to Hawaii a number of times. She and Toof went on many trips to Reno, the coast and Portland and to visit Ginny regularly in Oregon City. For many years, until her late 90's, Vi went to water aerobics at the Juniper Pool 5 days a week. She continued to mow her own yard until her mid-90's and to keep a very clean house. She referred to herself as "a strong Norwegian farm girl." She told many people that she could do anything and everything that she'd ever done. In 2007, Vi lost her beloved husband, Toof. Her daughter, Gin, died in 2018. Vi missed both of them terribly. She was always very warm and affectionate and generally cheerful but not the least bit sentimental. She took life as it came and went on. She had no regrets nor did she dwell on the past and the way things might have been. Her can-do attitude, self-confidence and positive outlook on life were truly inspirational. Vi is survived by her sister, Maxine, and two brothers, Harold and Richard, as well as many nephews, nieces, great and great-great nephews and nieces. She was well-loved and will be greatly missed. A cryptside service has been held in Greenwood Cemetery. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Partners in Care Hospice 2075 NE Wyatt Ct. Bend, OR 97701.

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Violet Beatrice Douglass

December 29, 1918 - April 24, 2020