Viola Ruth Adams of Yoakum, TX, was the second of 6 children to Marvin and Clarice Adams. Her childhood was spent working on the family farm through the Great Depression. Growing up on the farm, she retained a love of gardening her entire life. After completing school, she worked at the local tanner, then as a telephone operator. She married Lt. Herbert “Buddy” Massie in 1948 and became a homemaker and mother of their two children, Dale and Robin. After Buddy’s death in 1975, Ruth (as she was called) relocated to Austin, TX.
In Austin, she later worked part-time at a small resale shop and began nurturing her creative side with painting and crafting. Being an avid bowler, she joined a senior bowling league in South Austin. It was there that she met Roland Reece Garren, and the two were married in 1997. Ruth and Reece continued in the bowling league and enjoyed travelling in their RV to many places around the country.
Despite suffering from dementia, Viola, as she was now called, was always known for being sweet and kind to everyone she met. Viola Ruth would always greet you with a smile and a kind word. She loved everyone she knew and, in her final days, celebrated, “I am deeply loved!” This mutual love was a reflection of the love of God and her walk with Jesus Christ. Her absence is already deeply felt by many, but all should rejoice that she is now free from illness and in the presence of her Lord.
Viola Ruth is survived by her husband, Col. Roland Reece Garren, USAF, Ret.; brother Samuel H. Adams; son Dale Herbert Massie (Renae); daughter Robin Leigh Massie Condy (Steven); grandson Christopher Massie; and two great-grandchildren, Kimberlee and Jason Massie. She is preceded by her previous husband, Lt. Col. Herbert W. Massie, USAF.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Disabled American Veterans at https://www.dav.org/ or to a ministry of your choice.
Visitation will be held at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749, US, on July 30, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.
A Funeral Service will be held at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749, US, on July 30, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.
