Viola Hiatt

Mrs. Nancy Viola Gammons Cook Hiatt, 99, of Pilot Mountain, passed away on Sunday morning, May 24, 2020, at Northern Regional Hospital Skilled Care Unit.  She was born in Surry County on February 4, 1921, one of eleven children born to the late William Reid Gammons and Essie Ada Reynolds Gammons.  She retired from Spencer’s in Mount Airy.  She loved working in her flowers and gardening when she was able.  She was the oldest living member of Woodville Baptist Church.  She loved her family especially her grandkids that she called her own, but more than anything else, she loved her Savior.  Mrs. Hiatt had made the Skilled Nursing Facility her home for the last four years where she was known as the butterfly flower lady.  She loved making butterflies and giving them away.  She loved the faculty on Skilled and always talked about how good they treated her.  She had three special people in her life, Gaye McKeithan, who was her caregiver when she was at home, Lois Tilley, a volunteer with Hospice that would come sit with her every week, and Angela Payton, who was her hospice social worker and has been for the last eight years.  She will be missed by all who knew her and especially her family who loved her dearly.  Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Volenda Cook Love and husband James Lawson; 5 grandchildren, Cynthia and Baxter Starr, Nancy and Bobby Wilson, Greg and Jane Love, Terry and Marci Love, and Jeffery and Loida Cook; 11 great-grandchildren, Gregory Love, Jr. and wife Lillie, Jay Love, Donnie and Erica Love, Andy and Michelle Wilson, Mark and Kia Wilson, Alison and Donnie Kirk, Adam Starr, Rachel and Stefan Marquardt, Amber Cook, Krystal and Chad O’Donnell, and Brandon Cook. 10 great great-grandchildren; sisters and a brother-in-law, Iola Inman, Geraldine Vaughn, and Carolyn and Clarence Campbell; brothers and a sisters-in-law, Leonard and Lavern Gammons, and Clinard Gammons, JoAnn Gammons, and Maxie Gammons; and many nieces and nephews.  In addition to her parents, Mrs. Hiatt was preceded in death by her 1st husband, Granvil Cornelious Cook; her 2nd husband, Reid Franklin Hiatt; her son, Sherman Arlis Cook; a son-in-law, the Rev. Robert Keith Love; a sister, Gertrude Marion; and four brothers, infant James Garl Gammons, William Clyde Gammons, Zoy Israel Gammons, and John Almer Gammons.  Respecting the current limitations of numbers for public gatherings at this time (COVID-19), the funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at Moody Funeral Home Chapel at 11:00 AM with Rev. Stuart Mauck and Rev. Kevin Kilby officiating with burial to follow at Woodville Baptist Church Cemetery.  Mrs. Hiatt will lie-in-state at the funeral home on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.  A special thanks to the skilled Nursing Facility who cared for her for the past 4 years and to Mountain Valley Hospice.  Memorials may be made to Woodville Baptist Church Cemetery fund c/o of Zelda Collins, 1591 Toms Creek Church Road, Pilot Mountain, NC 27041 or to Mountain Valley Hospice.  The family will be gathering at other times at the home for all others to pay respect.