She was born near St. Elmo Thursday, April 20, 1893. She received her public school education at McDonald's Grove School a short distance from her home. On passing her entrance examination she attended Maxville High School for a time then when her parents had moved into Ottawa, the Lisgar Collegiate Institute in that city. While in Ottawa she was a regular attendant at the First Congregationalist Church of which the Rev. Mr. McIntosh was minister. She sang in the choir.
At nineteen years of age she went West with her family to Craik, Saskatchewan. In the fall of that year she entered the Normal School at Saskatoon. Dr. Snell was the principal and Dr. Weir, later the Minister of Education for the Province of B.C. was one of the teachers.
On her graduation she taught school first at Rose Hill, then at Swanson, then at Lemberg, four and a half years in all. That she made a success of her work, and that she was popular in the community is evidenced by the fact that on leaving the schools presentations were made to her, that from Swanson school being a gold ring set with five pearls (Christy Candlish still has the ring), while on leaving the Presbyterian Church in Lemberg, where she officiated as organist, she was given a sterling silver pitcher.
While teaching in Lemberg she met her future husband, James G. Gardiner, a rising young farmer living near the town and who was then member of the provincial parliament (legislature) for North Qu'Appelle. Rev. Wm. Patterson was the officiating clergyman.
For their honeymoon trip the happy couple went to Vancouver, then to Victoria where they spent New Year's Day. From here they took a boat to Seattle, visiting relatives of Mr. Gardiner who lived in this city.
From Seattle they took a boat for Los Angeles, experiencing on the voyage the roughest weather, the Captain said, that they had had in ten years. The waves swept over the second deck. While in Los Angeles they visited cousins - one of them a surveyor who had had a part in laying out the site for Hollywood. Continuing their journey they visited Imperial Valley and the Devils Canyon downnear the Mexican border. Here they were much interested in the cotton fields. From here they returned by train to Victoria and from thence to their home in Lemberg.
Rev. A.D. MacKenzie was the minister. On leaving Regina Violet was made the recipient by the church of a beautiful copy of The Hymnary. She was honored too with a presentation by the Regina Business Women's Liberal Club, of which she had been a member.
Among the many bright spots of their lives have been a number of holidays they have taken together.
The first of these was a trip to Banff in one year. The second was another visit to this beautiful spot. It was taken in the year 1928. This trip was commenced in the automobile, but on account of the mud, the car had to be abandoned, and the journey completed by train.
The three older children on this occasion were old enough to appreciate the many interesting things to be seen there and enjoyed the holiday very much.
Another holiday that gave them exceptional pleasure was that taken to Scotland in the year 1936.
Finally while she was back at the old farm in August of 1942 the day following Dieppe the news came that Edwin was missing. Hope lasted until November 11th when word reached her that Edwin had been killed on August 19th over Dieppe.
She took on additional duties serving meals at the Red Cross stand in the Capitol Theatre, the Presidency of the Ottawa Liberal Association, the Secretaryship of the Missionary Society and her own housework. Her health failed her while at the farm in the summer of 1944. On October 27th, 1944, three years and a day after she had last seen Edwin she passed on to meet him in the great beyond. Their kindred spirits will mingle as one. Their kind were never intended for strife and war. There was nothing but kindliness, and friendship toward mankind in their philosophy. She left a world of sorrow, strong in the faith she had so well exemplified to her children that she would meet her first born son whom she loved. Those left to mourn a loving mother and wife with a memory which should inspire to everything which is good.
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