Virginia was born at 5:20 a.m. on Sept. 17, 1932, in Aberdeen. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Mark's Episcopal Church of Aberdeen. Mom attended Garfield Grade School, Roosevelt Junior High and Central High School. These were happy years for Mom, and many of these friends remained with her for the rest of her life. She graduated in 1954 from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, with a bachelor's of service degree in home economics, a major in dietetics and a minor in chemistry. She has remained very close with her college friends throughout the years. Virginia took her internship in dietetics at Marshal Reese Hospital in Chicago. Afterwards, she was the dietitian at Crookston Hospital in Minnesota. Later, she became the dietitian for all the dorms at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. This is where she met her husband, Greg Harrison. They were married and lived in several towns in Minnesota, where their two children were born and then moved to Seattle, Wash., in 1965. One year later, they had a son, Christopher. Greg worked for Boeing for many years and Mother stayed at home and took care of us three kids.
Greg, Virginia and their three children are charter members of St. Hilda's Episcopal Church, where they started in 1965. St. Hilda's was later merged with St. Patrick's of Eastmont, Wash.
Greg and Virginia were blessed with three children: Gregory Scot, Nancy Ann and Christopher Howard. Scot and Nancy attended all three Meadowdale Schools and still live in the surrounding area. Christopher died in 1979 from a long bout of kidney failure from E. coli poisoning; he was 12-years-old. I want to thank Dr. Robert Hickman and Dr. Henry Tenekoff for giving us extra years of life with Chris.
Virginia is survived by her daughter, Nancy; her son, Scot; his wife Stardette; and their two children, Megan Starr and Christine Ann. Virginia had survived pancreas cancer surgery in May 2005, but it returned in the spring 2012. Our special thanks to Dr. Jeffery Ward of Swedish/Stevens Oncology Dept, and Mrs. Suzie Free of Providence Hospice for excellent care and making her last days on Earth comfortable. Celebration of her life will be held on Nov. 11, at 3 p.m. at St. Hilda's Episcopal Church.
Memorials may be sent to: St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1410 N. Kline St. Aberdeen, SD 57401-2103.