Van Wyhe, Virginia Irene (Smith)

VAN WYHE, SMITH, COLERIDER

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 7/14/2005 at 21:06:59

Funeral services for Virginia Irene Van Wyhe, 75, of Pella, who died on Saturday, September 2, 2000 at the Pella Regional Health Center-Long Term Care Unit, were held on Monday, September 4, at the Memorial Funeral Home in Sioux Center.

A private family interment was held at Hope Cemetery in Hull.

Virginia, the daughter of Arthur N. and Minnie Merle (Colerider) Smith, was born on July 10, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Virginia graduated from Buckhannon-Upshur High School. She then attended West Virginia Wesleyan College. On July 29, 1944, she was married to Arthur Van Wyhe at Camp Van Dorn in Mississippi.

Virginia was a journalist and writer and later worked for the Sioux City Journal and won a number of honors and awards. She lived in Pella for six years and had previously lived in Gig Harbour, Wash. and Sioux Center.

She was a member of the Christian Reformed Church, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and was a past president of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a son, Robert Van Wyhe; and a granddaughter, Laura Van Wyhe.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Evelyn and Tim Nikkel of Pella; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Glenn and Melony Van Wyhe of Tacoma, Wash. and William Van Wyhe of Seattle, Wash.; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and two sisters, Evelyn Stark of Leesburg, Fla. and Annie Dodge of Gig Harbour, Wash.

Memorials may be made to the Samson Knight Thomas Memorial Fund.

Arrangements were made by Garden Chapel Funeral Home.

Knoxville Journal Express, September 12, 2000