Violet Lucille (Winters) Grall
September 11, 1922 ~ June 18, 2015
Port Angeles resident Violet Grall passed away on June 18th, 2015 at the age of 92 years, all of which were spent in the Port Angeles area.
Violet was born to John and Lottie Winters on September 11, 1922, at the 1884 George Winters homestead on Deer Park Road. She was the last surviving of five children.
She grew up on the homestead attending the old Fairview School and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1941.
After graduation, Violet married Alvin (Bob) Grall and in 1947 they moved to the original 1885 Emery Homestead off Blue Mountain Road, owned by her maternal granparents, Aaron and Ida Emery.
Violet and Bob raised four children of their own; took in three nieces in times of need; raised three foster children and cared for several other foster children over the years.
Violet loved to bake and picked buckets and buckets of blackberries for her famous pies, which everyone loved. She made dozens of pies daily for Dupuis Restaurant and eventually became a full time employee, working there for ten years.
She spent twelve years driving school busses for the Port Angeles School District, a job she loved and the kids loved her.
She retired in 1985. Retirement for Violet was a busy time. She spent eighteen years involved with the Golden Crafts Shop making aprons, potholders, and quilts. Violet loved her quilting club, making hundreds of quilts for infants, children, and her family. All were awed by her talent and extremely happy to receive one of her famous jean quilts.
Violet and Bob spent ten years of their retirement traveling around the United States. These trips included her passion of genealogy, antique shops and garage sales. She spent countless hours on these trips researching information in the county courthouses, cemeteries and local historical societies. She found homes of ancestors and descendants, previously unknown, which provided her with valuable genealogical information.
Violet did all of this the old fashioned way of tireless footwork and endless reading. She wrote and published a complete perspective of the family history. She was masterful storyteller and all enjoyed listening to her discoveries. Many people sought out her knowledge of Olympic Peninsula history: the local schools, pioneer families, and the history of Deer Park and Blue Mountain.
She was a fifty-plus year member of the Fairview Grange. She was also a member of the Fairview Ladies Club, Clallam County Genealogy Society, Clallam County Historical Society, Crazy Quilters, and served as the secretary for the Blue Mountain Cemetery. In the 1950’s she was a 4-H leader.
Violet had many cherished friends. She was a loving and proud parent, grandparent, great- grandparent and great-great-grandparent; along with being a loving aunt to numerous nieces and nephews. She was precious to so many and will be greatly missed by her friends and her family.
She is survived by her four children, Londa (Burke) Webster, Gordon (Jane Hendrick) Grall, Lottie (Robert) Berger and Jeff (Renee) Grall; along with 14 granchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren (with one more on the way); and foster children Mike and Nicki Freeman, and Cindy Landers.
She was preceded in death by her parents John and Lottie (Emery) Winters; brothers Emery, Sherman, and Harold; sister Gloria Eacrett; numerous aunts and uncles; and her loving husband of 61 years Bob (Alvin) Grall.
A special thanks goes to her granddaughter, Chris Nivens, for the comfort and care of Violet. Also, great thanks goes to Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Clallam County Historical Society, Museum, P.O. Box 1327 Port Angeles, WA 98362 and or to Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County, 540 8th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
