In Loving Memory
Viola M. Laws Sampson
May 20, 1921 - June 25, 2021

VISITATION
Thursday, July 1, 2021
4:00 - 7:00 P.M.
Martin-Mattice Funeral Home
Emmetsburg, Iowa

SERVICE
Friday, July 2, 2021
10:30 A.M.
First United Methodist Church
Emmetsburg, Iowa

CLERGY
Rev. Lana Williams
Rev. Jim Morris
Pastor Mark Lee

INTERMENT
Friday, July 2, 2021
2:00 P.M.
Rush Lake Cemetery
Mallard, Iowa

Viola Mae Lowman was born on May 20, 1921 in Curlew, Iowa to Homer and Ethel (Hatch) Lowman.  She graduated from Curlew High School in May 1939 and was the only girl in that graduation class.  She married Eugene Houston Laws on June 20, 1940.  They were blessed with four sons and one daughter.

Viola  was  a  furniture  and  carpet  saleswoman  for  Hiller  Carpets,  a  4-H leader, a semi-truck driver, cooked in and owned a cafe and was the baker at PACH when they were still making goodies from scratch.  She loved to cook and bake homemade pies and buns for family and friends. She delivered dinner date meals to Curlew Dinner Date from 1991-2014.  She also did craft work. She was very proud of the one and only thing she ever made in ceramics, a complete Nativity scene which included a manger made from the floorboards of the old Curlew Methodist church.

Viola was a faithful and devoted member of the First United Methodist Church where she taught Bible School and Sunday School and served as President of the United Methodist Women for many years.  She was a past member and officer of the Royal Neighbors.  She served on many boards and organizations in the area, some of which included Northwest Aging Council, Emmetsburg Senior Citizens Board, Palo Alto County Council on Aging, and Northwest Iowa Agency.

Her husband, Eugene Laws, died on January 25, 1981.  From their union, Viola is survived by three sons and one daughter, Roger (Renee) Laws of Bellingham, WA, Lonnie Laws of Mallard, IA, Lyle (Betsy) Laws of Seminole, FL, and Pam (Jerry) Beschorner of Emmetsburg, IA.  Twelve grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, 3 great great grandchildren.

On March 28, 1987 she married Milford (Sam) Sampson.  Milford died February 7, 1995. From their union Viola is survived by stepchildren:  Judy Higgins, Steve (Mary Jo) Sampson, JoAnn Williams, and Jean (Bob) Grems and many step grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren.

Viola has been preceded in death by her parents Homer and Ethel Lowman, husbands Eugene Laws and Milford (Sam) Sampson, brothers Ray and Lyle Lowman, son and daughter-in-law, Ronald and Linda (Kinnetz) Laws, daughter-in-law Harriett (Truelsen) Laws, stepson David Sampson and step great-grandchild Hunter Williams.

Arrangements by Martin-Mattice Funeral Home