Violetta Lowe

Violetta (Weda) Carol Lowe (nee Bohne) age 91, passed into the loving presence of God on May 5, 2012. She passed with family at her side at Bonaventure Boarding Home in Lacey, Washington. She was born to Millard F. and Fern E. Bohne (nee Partney) on March 30, 1921 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was raised in St. Louis and graduated from Normandy High School of that city. On July 4, 1939, she married the love her life and true soul mate, Wesley A. Lowe, Jr. They lived most of their lives together in St. Louis but did live in several other parts of the country due to Wesley’s service in the United States Air Force and later as an employee of the Federal government. During their lives together they also resided in Somerset, New Jersey and Dale City, Virginia. They retired and returned home to St. Louis. They were completely devoted to each other throughout their lives together until Wesley’s passing in September, 1996. They were together for 57 years. They travelled through life together sharing adventures, good times and lean times, laughter and tears.

Weda is survived by her son Craig W. Lowe (Terry) of Olympia, Washington, her sister Shirley Glenn (nee Bohne) of Corvallis, Oregon, her two sons-in-law, Kevin Kundert (Jane) and J.B. Loewenstein both of St. Louis, her six grandchildren: Marc Lowe of Chicago, Illinois, Kara Lohnes (Eric), Lindsey Lowe both of Olympia, Zachary Lowe of San Francisco, California, Evan Smith (Stacia) of Portland, Oregon, Blaine Smith of New York City, Brian Kundert of Fort Hauchuca, Arizona, and Nicholas Kundert of Columbia, Missouri. She is also survived by five great grandchildren: Adele Lohnes, Daniel Lohnes, Oscar Smith, Killian and Xavian Kundert. She is also survived by a nephew, Greg Glenn and a niece, Karen Glenn.

Weda was predeceased by her beloved husband Wesley, three of her four children: her son Carol Lowe, her two daughters Sharon Loewenstein and Barbara Ann Kundert. She was also predeceased by her parents, her sister Fairy Bohne and her brother Ursel Bohne.

Weda lived through much of the significant history of the Twentieth Century. She lived through the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and men landing on the Moon. She was a keen student of history and a voracious reader her whole life. She instilled that love of knowledge and passion for the written word in her children. It is one of the most enduring of the many gifts she bestowed upon them.

During WWII, Wesley trained as and was commissioned as a navigator in heavy bombers in the United States Army Air Forces. During this time Weda followed him when she could all over the country. Her stories of hair-raising travels in an old beat up jalopy with bald tires and strict gas rationing were marvelous in the details and illustrative of why she and Wesley were part of what truly was the “Greatest Generation”. When Wesley was deployed overseas to England to fly a tour of combat with the Eighth Air Force over Europe, Weda worked in a factory in St. Louis manufacturing and balancing gyroscopic rotors for use in bomber gun turrets. This sort of work had been exclusively done by men. She was one of the very first women to ever be employed in that field. If one called her a groundbreaker or a pioneer she would have shaken her head and said, “It’s just what had to be done.” That was the way she was.

Weda was also a lover of great music. She played classical piano and attempted to instill in her children the skill and talent necessary to play that instrument. She had moderate success with her daughters but very little with her surviving son. However, she was wildly successful in instilling the love of music in all of us.

Weda never had a music lesson but she had a remarkably sharp “ear” and taught herself to play. Piano lessons were a luxury that people of modest means did not spend money on during the Great Depression. She taught herself to read sheet music. A fairly remarkable feat since her surviving son who had the benefit of three years of formal piano lessons could not tell the difference between a “high C” on a piano keyboard from a sugary, orange flavored soft drink. She had the uncanny ability to listen to a piece of music and then sit down and play it with extraordinary accuracy and flair. She could listen to a particular piece of music and actually create the sheet music as she listened.

She was an accomplished artist. During the course of her life until she reached her eighties, she worked in several mediums to include charcoal, water colors and oils to produce some really first rate art.

During the Korean War Wesley was recalled to active duty and redeployed to fly combat in the Far East. Weda moved the family out to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California and kept the homestead operating with two children to care for. The oldest was five years old and the youngest was newborn. She was successful in operating in a completely unfamiliar environment without any of the usual support systems of close family.

Weda’s greatest trait was that she was a person of true humility, compassion, empathy, and kindness. She truly believed everyone had intrinsic value and that even when a person behaved badly toward her or anyone else, that the best approach was to give that person the benefit of the doubt and not judge them. In fact, she believed that such people might be turned away from their misdeeds and foul humors if the person with whom they were interacting responded with understanding and kindness. She used to say, “Whenever you have a choice of actions, try to be kind first. God will never fault you for trying to do the kind thing.”

Violetta Carol Lowe was a remarkable human being. She loved well. She was loved much. She endured some of the most painful events that life can bring. She always met those times with dignity, courage and faith. She accomplished much. Those who love her will miss her terribly. Her race was well run and she has earned her rest. Godspeed, Momma.