Violet Allen

Violet Page Allen passed peacefully June 18, 2020. Violet turned 99 March 12th 2020, the day the CDC initiated a closure of all nursing care units throughout the nation. It was naturally a difficult time for family and patient to be separated over the next three months without physical contact.
Violet was born March 12, 1921 in DeKalb County near Smithville, Tn. in Buckeye Hollow in a true mountain log cabin replete with the traditional dog trot separating living quarters from the kitchen section just a stone's throw from the Holmes Creek farming area, now covered by the waters of Center Hill Lake. She was the daughter of Cee Rozias Page and Hassie Atnip Page. She was the second daughter for the young couple-the first, Veda Mai Page succumbed, ironically in her era of pandemic to the Swine Flu October 12, 1918, at eight months of age. Then tragically Violet's beloved father died when she was 4 years old from a --burst appendix. The tragic death of her father necessitated a move returning mother Hassie and child back to her Grandfather Alfred Benjamin Atnip's and grandmother Elizabeth Robinson Atnip's home, as was the custom of the day. The void created by the untimely departure of her charismatic, talented father was quickly filled by the regular visits of the numerous other grandchildren to the Atnip ancestral home. Violet had the constant joy of sharing the large farm house with the throngs of cousins on visit. It was common for kids to camp out all over the house, pallets on the floors under dining tables to create a loving rambunctious atmosphere enjoyed and encouraged by their Grandpa Atnip who was known to challenge the children to foot races-to their collective delight and glee! -
A few years later Hassie marries Haskell Taylor to begin a new life together. They slipped away by horseback with first grader Violet riding behind her mother, to be married quietly by the local justice of the peace. They rode up to the front gate of the justice, remained on horseback, and repeated their vows always astride their horses! Hassie and Violet went to live on Haskell's farm nearby. This union was to be solid and long lived, but absent of any new children.
Years pass. Violet's school years found her riding a real covered wagon to school up Snow's Hill. Then when high school was possible, Violet boarded with families in Smithville, during her high school days. Violet graduated Valedictorian of her Smithville High School class of 1939, a turbulent turning point in world history. Violet then quickly completed two years' worth of undergraduate studies at Middle Tennessee College which later we know as MTSU. In 1940 she married Brown D. Allen, and soon with war looming went to work in Detroit, Michigan where Brown's sister and husband lived. She worked in defense industries dedicated to the war effort. Because she had 2 years college experience, she was given leadership positions in quality control. Pearl Harbor attack occurs in December before the birth of her only child, a son, Danny C. Allen in April 1942. Like many men of the greatest generation Brown enlists and served the war effort in the Navy. War won, the troops returned victorious from their arenas to catch up with the life they all had to put on hold. After working in Detroit, the young couple decides to return to Tennessee to farm and raise their son far from the city.
The Tennessee Valley Authority meanwhile had been engaged in building a system of dams to control the Caney Fork valleys and elsewhere. TVA bought Haskell and Hassie's land and Violet traveled extensively in Middle Tennessee looking for the exact right piece of land which she finally found off Hurt Road in South Williamson County two miles east of Spring Hill. The farm remains, but now surrounded by subdivisions. It is the last farm. In 2010 Allendale Elementary was built on 24 acres of the farm and named in honor of Violet, the pioneer builder of Williamson County's Special Education program. Violet begins her teaching career at Spring Hill (the old School House) where she teaches two years before Brown and Violet buy their first farm in the Vanatta community of Bedford county. Violet is hired teaching first grade at Community High School where she teaches 14 years, continuing her education on weekends, and summer to finish her B.A., M.A. (George Peabody). Brown and Violet find a farm in Spring Hill and move their farming operation in 1964 to be nearer Her mom's farm. Violet continues education in Special Education and is hired as a Special education specialist in the Williamson County School District. She is the first Special Education hire and the county equips a former book mobile van with special tape recorders, books, teaching aids, games, etc. and she drives to the separate schools to be plugged into the school. Children needing help in speech, reading comprehension are sent out to the van to work with Ms Violet. The County quickly saw the potential to offer more services to address the special needs of school children and made her supervisor of Special Education. She quickly began to hire specialists to form a team that would serve the county and put together the foundation of what is indisputably the best special education program of any county in the state today.
The years quickly passed. Violet developed the successful program and on the farm she began raising the Jolly Jingles registered line of championship Nubian Goats. This was her hobby and it gave her a lot of pleasure to come home and decompress taking care of her beloved goats. She showed Nubians far and wide and had the Grand Champion of the Southeast US. Retired years found her taking care of her aged mother, Hassie, who lived to the age of 101 ½ passing in 2000 having lived in 3 centuries! Then she took care of her husband Brown until his death in 2004. Finally, she had time to travel which she did with great pleasure being a part of the Tennessee Travelers taking 50 plus trips over ten years. She loved seeing new places and meeting new people. In her waning years she lived in an Assisted Living (Willow Springs in Spring Hill) making new friends and enjoying many new activities. In 2017 she fractured her hip, had successful surgery, but moved to NHC where the staff gave her excellent care, and where she will be missed.
Survived by her son Danny Allen (Martha),
Grandchildren: Lea Allison Page Rovers (Tycho), Daniel Allen, Taylor Allen (Mereste), Chris Dye, and Jonathan Dye (Tara)
Great Grandchildren: Keaton, Aiden, Adrien, Juliana Page (to be born in August), Kinsley, Knox, Tristan, Creslee, Lincoln
To read more details of Violet's life go to Amazon books.com to order Violet's autobiography "My Life in the Hills" by Violet P. Allen
In lieu of flowers, donations in Violet's memory can help sponsor an underprivileged child to have a life changing camp experience at the Light House Christian Camp, 205 Serenity Place, Smithville, TN. 37166 ( This camp is located on her Grandfather's farm where Violet spent so many memorable years.)