Viola Hutson passed away peacefully on November 4, 2022 at the age of 97 at the Golden Age Living Center in Milwaukie, where she has resided for a number of years.  Viola was born April 10, 1925 in Hebron, North Dakota, to Adolph and Selma Schneider. 

She married Eldon McGarvin in 1942; they had four children and later divorced.  They family lived in the Hood River valley area after 1942.  Viola began packing apples and pears for Diamond Fruit in the Hood River area. In the 1950s, most of the packing was done only in the fall after the apples and pears were picked. With the expansion of the cold storage facilities, Viola worked almost year round packing fruit. Viola retired in 1989. 

Viola and Leonard “Speed” Hutson married in 1961, where they built their home on Belmont Road in Hood River.  They had a large yard, vegetable and flower gardens, and peach and apple orchards. The acre that was the peach orchard had been planted in corn, and Viola would go out to pick bushels or bags of corn for customers.  After her retirement, Viola enjoyed numerous day and week-long trips around the northwest offered by the Hood River Senior Center.

Viola was a prolific quilter, making quilts for her children and grandchildren. She taught sewing classes and enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting, and cooking/baking.  When her brother-in-law Joe was stationed in England with the Air Force, Viola traveled to England to see her niece graduate from high school; then joined their family as they visited Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Italy. Her niece took Viola on a day trip to London which really enjoyed.  She took a cruise to Alaska, went on multiple trips to see family who had remained in North Dakota, and numerous gambling trips with Speed, daughter Selma, and sister and brother-in-law Betty and Joe. Viola also enjoyed seeing her family, grandkids and great grandkids. 

Viola was preceded in death by her daughter Brenda, parents, step-mother Jo, husband Speed, siblings Howard, Lilly, Bernice, Melvin, Roy, and Ray. She is survived by siblings Abie (Barbara) and Betty (Joe), children Eldon (Joan), Jerry (Jane), Selma, 8 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and numerous other relatives. 

The family thanks the staff at the Golden Age Living Center for providing a warm and caring home for Viola these past few years. 

Services for Viola will be held 10:00 a.m., Sunday, November 20, 2022, at Anderson's Tribute Center • 1401 Belmont Avenue, Hood River, Oregon 97031, celebrant speaker, Bob Huskey will officiate.  Graveside Rites will follow at Idlewilde Cemetery of Hood River, Oregon. 

Memorials are encouraged to be made in Viola’s name to the Hutson Museum, P. O. Box 501, Mt. Hood/Parkdale, OR 97041. 

Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.