Obituary of Viola Steen Walters

Funeral services for Viola Steen Walters age 88 of Grayson will be held 2:00 PM Tuesday December 11, 2018 from the sanctuary of Grayson Baptist Church with Bro. Rick Crandall officiating. Burial will follow at Welcome Home Cemetery at Grayson with services under direction of Riser & Son Funeral Home of Columbia. The Walters family will receive visitors on Monday December 10, 2018 from 5 to 8 PM at the Riser & Son Funeral Home in Columbia, located at 7131 U S Highway 165.

A retired accountant, Viola was born May 11, 1930 to the union of William C. (Bill) and Zona Thomas Steen at Kelly, LA.  She went home to be with the Lord December 6, 2018 at StoneyBrook Assisted Living in West Monroe, LA.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, J.R. Walters, brother, Marvin Steen and sister, Margie Steen Fore:

She is survived by her sons: Ronald B. and wife, Lynn Blanchard Walters of Webb City, MO and Tony R. and wife, Susan Wilson Walters of Grand Junction, CO.  Six grandchildren:  Alanna Walters Garcia and husband, Roland Garcia, Jr., Alisha Walters Shumaker and husband James Shumaker, Katie Ellen Walters, Casey William and wife Rebecca Dennis Walters, Rachel Ann Walters and Joseph Allen Cooper Walters and wife, Samantha Liveoak Walters; and, five great-grandchildren: Emily Trichel, Corban Garcia, Marlee Garcia, Maeleigh Garcia and Cooper Walters.

Pallbearers are: Casey Walters, James Shumaker, Roland Garcia, Jr., Eugene Dunn, Toby Sutherlin and Tommy Parker.

Honorary pall bearers are Ed Fore, Jerry Meredith, Ken Jackson, Joseph Walters and Bryan Lamb.

Viola was an active member of Grayson Baptist Church--having served as clerk there for several years, as organist, choir member, and pianist occasionally. She was also often remembered fondly at church for making her coconut pies.

Viola graduated from Kelly High School in 1947, and after doing bookwork and accounting for Steen’s Sawmill, studied at night and received a B.S. degree in Accounting in 1966 from ICS. When the kids were old enough, she started working outside the home, first in the office at the Haven Nursing Home and for Dr. W.M. Causey.  Beginning in 1966 she kept books at home for Ken and Faye Harris. In 1986, while still operating a home office, she served as Clerk for the Town of Columbia until 1992 and then retired from Harris, Inc. in 1996, but continued preparing income tax returns for a few other accounts.

Viola was fondly known as “Granny” by some of the grand and great grandchildren.  She was also known as “Mimi” by other ones. To “Granny” or “Mimi” each one of the kids was special. When she was still able to bake, she would make sure that each of the kids had their favorite pie at holiday meals—sometimes baking a dozen or so pies just to make sure.

J.R. and Viola were always a “package deal”, married for 70+years, and now they are happily together again with perfect bodies, without the limitations of the flesh. Together with Christ-- joint heirs to Heaven, their new home.