October 21, 1916

Violet Brumley Hensley—who has been called the “Whittling Fiddler,” the “Stradavarius of the Ozarks,” and the “Fiddle Maker”—was born in Mount Ida (Montgomery County). Before she was sixteen, she made a fiddle for herself, patterning her work from her father’s fiddle-making and with his guidance. After marrying and raising nine children, she continued her work of making and playing fiddles. In 2000, she was designated an Arkansas Living Treasure by the Arkansas Arts Council. She has been featured in national magazines, has appeared on well-known television shows, and has had a weekly radio show. In the twenty-first century, she continued to teach fiddle-playing and fiddle-making at her home in Yellville (Marion County), while still assisting with the repair of instruments.