Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Happy Birthday To Violet Nations
NATIONS CELEBRATES A CENTURY OF LIFE
“Cleaning living. I never smoked. I never drank. I don’t swear. I go to church and I’m a Christian woman. I love the Lord and I hope to see him in the next life.”
Violet Nations On living to be 100 years old
PRAIRIE GROVE — Violet Nations of Prairie Grove celebrated her 100th birthday with what was supposed to be a surprise drive-by party.
Someone kinda leaked the surprise — her hairdresser — but Nations was OK with that. She was very appreciative of the good wishes and party, all organized by Bernice Headrick of Prairie Grove.
Nations and several family members sat on her front porch in Sundowner Estates on the day of her birthday, April 15, as around 20 vehicles drove by decorated with balloons and posters. Family and friends from the community waved and called out to her happy birthday wishes.
“I was just astounded,” Nations said. “It was just wonderful. I just couldn’t believe it.”
Beautiful flower arrangements and many birthday cards filled her house during the week to help her remember the special day.
Nations grew up south of Prairie Grove, at 86 District, until she was 18 years old. She had three sisters and one is still with her. Joy Bartholomew is 81 and lives in Prairie Grove.
She went to a one-room school through eighth grade.
“That’s as far as I went,” she said. “I educated myself to do what I did after I married with the help of an accountant. He taught me how to keep books.”
When she was 19 years old, she married Claud Nations. They had been married 47 years when he passed away in 1987. The couple had two children, a son, Huland Nations, who has passed away, and one daughter, Carolyn Carlyse, of Prairie Grove. Nations has four grandchildren, seven great- grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. One of her grandsons is District Judge Graham Nations.
Violet Nations worked for the Prairie Grove Water Department for 21 years. She said she “did the bookkeeping, billing, collecting and the whole bit.” She recalls there were about 600 customers at one point.
At that time, of course, all work was by hand. Nations remembers when computers came out. She wished she had taken an interest in them but said she thought computers were just “poppycock.” Now, computers are unbelievable and wonderful, she said.
Her father retired from his business, running a sawmill, and Nations and her husband bought the sawmill. Nations said she worked as the bookkeeper for her husband until he became sick and then retired to take care of him.
When asked about living to be 100 years old, she attributes it to this: “Clean living. I never smoked. I never drank. I don’t swear. I go to church and I’m a Christian woman. I love the Lord and I hope to see him in the next life.”
She’s a member of Prairie Grove United Methodist Church and has not been going in person to church because of covid- 19 but hopes to get back.
Nations lives alone, with her daughter helping to take care of her needs, along with dinners provided by Meals on Wheels.
She said she is thankful the Lord has spared her mind as much as He has her body.
“If I didn’t have arthritis, I would be out finding a job,” she said. “It’s wonderful.”