Viola Steiner 1949 with husband George Edgar Steiner, Sr. visiting his family in Ashaway,RI.

Viola May (Lunn) Steiner my grandmother married to George Edgar Steiner,Sr.( In photo) lived in Pascoag, RI. She was a beautiful, classy, life- loving, smart, affectionate woman of great strength. She lost her 2nd son Francis" Pin" in WWII,(buried in Belgium) at The Battle of the Bulge. Her eldest George,Jr. survived WWII horrors to return home but never marry. At his death there was found an unused engagement ring and wedding band set that he never spoke about. Her eldest daughter Eleanor,, known for her warmth and vivacious love of life and the most musical laugh and best hugs, died young of a sudden heart attack in her 40's when her children were barely in their teens. Her youngest Shirley, an amazing, strong, intelligent, affectionate, of deep faith in Christ, highly educated to a nurse, mom( mine🥰 ) raised her family in the duplex shared with Viola and George at 34 Rock Avenue,Pascoag,RI overlooking Union Pond near Pascoag Resevoir. Viola's husband was in the Navy, then became a successful machinist buying the family home and land, which Shirley's husband George Fish greatly added to the land holdings and the success of the family. Viola was a talented seamstress but worked at home caring for her family, the grounds and assisting her daughter Shirley, who had stopped working as a nurse to care for her own children, especially as her oldest, Viola's granddaughter Jeanne had a genetic disease of cystic fibrosis which killed her at the young age of 26. Another tragedy in the heart of viola. Viola carry the grief of losing her son Pin all her life and never allowed the sound of TAPS to be played within her hearing or their television, radio or in person. We all learn the cost of serving in the military both on the field and back home since the day we were born. But amazingly, Viola taught her family to have a great passion for life, to Love without limits, to be loyal and made a point of teaching us never to see color or class and how we treated people, which was all people seem to be doing at that time. She was a woman ahead of her time. Viola kept beautiful and trim all her life by dancing, working in the garden with her flowers especially her roses, and playing with her grandchildren in the large backyard. She had intensely deep brown eyes almost black that were calm and loving with a glint of mischief. I remember her sneaking small bottles of Squirt soda to us on hot summer days or buying us a popsicle from the ice cream truck that sang it's tune going down the street. She loved fine music, dancing, perfume and was well read. She taught us to be positive, she was always encouraging and without saying hardly anything taught us how to go on in life despite deep sadness and to be kind and not bitter. She fiercely believed in women's suffragette and rights, yet embodied the finesse of being a true lady and allowing men to be gentlemen. She never saw a woman needing to be like a man to be equal. She was kind to animals beyond imagining and adored her Pomeranian mix Sugar, caring for her well into her long elderly years. Viola made each one of us grandchildren absolutely sure she loved us equally and passionately with endless forgiveness and often had her deceased daughter Eleanor's children up for long periods in the summer to play in the lake and throughout the year. Her and George were very generous and made sure each of us had fantastic Christmases which was her favorite holiday.