Glenn and Viola (Templeton) Hockensmith July 1961

Although this blog bears the name of my grandmothers Abbie and Eveline, they are not my only grandmothers. I was blessed with an additional set of grandparents when I was seven. I’ll say right now that I don’t like using “step” or “half” to describe my familial relationships. I suppose I’ll have to do that sometimes in the confines of this blog to distinguish where people fit in my genealogy, but that is not the designation that people hold in my heart.

Viola Nell Templeton Hockensmith is the name of my 3rd grandmother. This picture was taken when we first met – on the occasion of my mother’s marriage to her son. There were no other grandchildren at the time and they accepted me into their family as their own. Like my other grandmothers, Viola was a warm, loving, hard-working woman of faith. I often spent a week every summer with my Hockensmith grandparents on their farm and, like my other grandmothers, Viola included me in her daily activities and hobbies and made me feel as though she enjoyed having my company.

Viola Templeton, November 1902

As luck would have it (since I didn’t know when I would get this blog up), I am posting this on the anniversary of Viola’s birth 110 years ago. Viola Nell Templeton was born May 1, 1902 to Ernest M. Templeton and Erma Wandler Templeton on the family farm near Junction City, Kansas.

I don’t have as many pictures or stories about Viola since we didn’t meet until I was seven and we were always separated by distance. I hope my Hockensmith family will be sending both!