Viola Clements

Viola Lowder Clements, age 90, passed away peacefully on her terms on October 18, 2024, in Eagle Mountain, Utah. She was born to Aleen Ellen Sly and Amasa Lowder on August 25, 1934, in Milford. Viola was known for her strong, independent, and caring nature. Throughout her life, she remained a hardworking and dedicated individual, both in her personal endeavors and professional life.

Viola spent her early years waitressing and later dedicated 25 years of her career as a clerk at K-Mart, where she retired. Her resilience and work ethic were also evident in her roles as a mother and military wife for 20 years. She supported her husband and family through the many challenges and cross-country moves that came with life on base. Later, she and her husband decided to bring their children back to Utah, where she lived out the remainder of her years.

Viola was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, in her later years, enjoyed going to senior activities with her best friend Norma.

Viola married twice, first to Stanley Hopkins in 1954 and then to Martin LaRay Clements November 6,1956. She was surrounded by family; five children, twenty-two grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren, all of whom she loved deeply. Viola was better known by the people who loved her as "Grandma C." She was everyone's Grandma, she opened her home and affection to countless people over the years without expecting anything in return. She never judged anyone for their circumstances and encouraged others not to either. She loved to chitchat with her family and friends, often remembering to ask about little details she had been told in past conversations, and she would offer very sound advice. Sharp-minded, she was known to be witty, with a dry sense of humor that often had her family laughing and asking themselves what had just come out of her mouth. Viola was a cool, down-to-earth grandma, not afraid to tell her children and grandchildren about the wilder days of her youth.

Grandma C had a rich life, lived in eleven different states, and stood on every coastline across the country. Of all the places she lived, Georgia was her favorite; she thoroughly enjoyed living amongst the Pecan Trees and fireflies. She was an avid reader, known to consume up to three to five novels a week, and could often be found working on crossword puzzles and playing video poker in her downtime. Viola liked sports and was a dedicated fan of the Utah Jazz basketball team. She watched nearly every game and even into her late 80s could be found scolding the referees for making a bad call. She was a good bowler and a member of the American Fork Women's Bowling League for many years. She was a gifted seamstress who made her children's clothes when they were young, along with outfits and furniture for her daughter's dolls.

Above all else, Viola was resilient. Growing up during the Great Depression, she and her sister, Joan, would paint lines down the backs of their legs so it appeared they were wearing stockings. During the gas rations, she also helped her dad build an engine that would run on alternative fuel so they could still go on family drives together. She instilled this resourcefulness and work ethic into her children. She had an unmatched ability to take life as it comes and remember to never take things for granted.

Viola is survived by her children, Jesse (Debra) Hopkins of Big Bear, CA, Ed (Valerie) Clements of Eagle Mountain, UT, Tina Bristol of Eagle Mountain, UT, Don (Stacey) Clements of Springville, UT, and her brother, Mike (Peggy) Butler of West Valley, UT. She was preceded in death by her parents, Aleen Ellen Sly and Amasa Lowder, her siblings, Joan Hounchell and Doyle Lowder, her daughter, Rose (Dusty) Bennett, and her grandchildren, Kenneth Williams, Melissa Bristol, and Dalin Clements.

A small viewing for family will be held at Anderson & Sons Mortuary in American Fork, Utah, from 1:00-1:30 pm, followed by a Graveside Service at Evergreen Cemetery in Springville on Thursday, October 24th at 2:00 pm.