Viola was born September 15, 1915 in New Bloomfield, Missouri, to the parents of Arthur and Isabell Cave. She was the fourth of five children born to this union.
Viola left Missouri and moved to Detroit, Michigan. She always loved the Lord and loved working in the church, so she wasted no time in finding herself a church home and became a member of The Church of Our Prayer.
Viola later moved to Des Moines, IA to be closer to her sister Alma. There she met Marvin Allen, Sr. and the two married in 1997. Viola loved to sing and had a beautiful soprano voice. After joining her husband’s church, Corinthian Baptist, she, and Marvin both sang in the choir together. Viola enjoyed taking pictures and she would often tell the story about how someone once gave her a twenty-dollar tip for taking their picture. She was employed by the Iowa Bystander, which was an Iowa newspaper targeted towards an African American audience. Her last job was a teacher’s assistant at an Elementary School in the Des Moines school system where she loved working with the children.
If someone asked Viola how she was doing, her quick reply was, “I’m doing fine as Strawberry Wine”. She was witty, spunky, vibrant, and had an answer for everything!
Viola also loved her family, she loved visiting them, and loved having them around.
Viola was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Marvin Allen Sr., two brothers, William Arthur, and Logan Carnelland , two sisters, Lottie Alma Jackman and Eunice Lucille Glover.
She leaves behind to cherish fond memories, nieces, Elizabeth Williams, (Omaha, NE); Alma McKinney (St. Charles, MO), Wanda Reese (St. Louis, MO) and Barbara Whatley (Akron, OH), one stepson Marvin (Mary) Allen, Jr., (Urbandale, IA), and other nieces, nephews, and relatives, Corinthian Baptist Church Family and Regency Care Center friends.
Though your smile is gone forever
And your hand we cannot touch
We still have so many memories
Of the one we loved so much
Your memory is now our keepsake
Which with we will never part
God has you in his keeping
We have you in our heart.
Love,
YOUR FAMILY
