Viva la Viola – Granny Chic Vanity/Desk and Chair Set.
Fashioned in the Memory and Sassy Style of my Sweet Granny, Viola “Vi” Griffin Hawkins - Born in DeKalb, TX on April 7, 1926. She will forever be remembered in my mind as my Disco Ball Granny, because of her wonderfully sparkly wardrobe and equally sparkly personality. When I was little I loved to sit in her closet and stare at her scarves, pocketbooks and shoes. She had everything from glittery gold and silver house slippers to bright orange and green metallic slingback heels.
“She would always say ‘the rain went down the river’ (when it looked like it would come a down pour but didn’t rain or it was predicted to rain but didn’t). Her favorite color was purple, but she loved any bright colors and it showed in what she wore. Even her costume jewelry was bold and bright. Granny loved to dress up. She had that WOW factor!! She loved watching The Gaithers on TV. Her favorite Gospel songs were ‘The Old Rugged Cross’, ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘Amazing Grace’. She loved hanging out with ‘The Girls’. These were a group of ladies (Eva, Thelma, Evelyn, Joyce, Bobbie) she went to church with and they often attended church sponsored events together, shopped together, and had get-togethers at each others homes, ate and played Nines, Spoons and other games. She loved playing Yahtzee, Wahoo, Canasta. The most memorable thing about Granny was her upbeat attitude and smile, especially at the end of her life. She showed stamina, strength, and resolve in the face of blindness, heart trouble, kidney cancer, and pain.” -Rona Hawkins Grider.
Kidney Shaped Vanity/Desk and Chair have been painted in eye-catching CeCe Caldwell’s New Orleans Purple, Glazed in a Deep Whiskey Hue, Distressed and Waxed. I added knobs that I dressed up with some rhinestone earrings from my costume jewelry stash, appliques in Gilded Gold and then newly lined the drawer with sheet music paper. Chair cushion has been recovered in a patterned gold velvet fabric. Dimensions: 37.5″ Wide x 29″ Tall x 21″ Deep.
April 7, 1926 to May 11, 2009
Grandpa Hawkins
Granny and my Daddy
Thank you Aunt Rona for helping me with Granny’s history. 
My Aunt Rona, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Life Legacy – Obituary
Viola Hawkins, 83, of Hooks, TX, died Monday, May 11, 2009, in a local hospital. She was born April 7, 1926, in DeKalb, TX. She was retired from Red River Army Depot and was a member of First Baptist Church, Hooks. She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil Hawkins and a granddaughter, Lisa Hawkins. She is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Bonnie Hawkins of Ashdown, AR; one daughter and son-in-law, Rona and Jerry Grider of Wake Village, TX; three grandchildren, Nicole Hon and her husband, David, of Texarkana, AR, Kelly Hudson of Little Rock, AR, and Lori Preece of Vernal, UT; three great-grandchildren and a number of other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held 2 pm Thursday, May 14, 2009, at Chapelwood Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Roy Ford officiating. Burial will be in Chapelwood Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, Hooks, Building Fund.
