Funeral services will be held Friday, August 30, 2002 at 10:30 a.m. at Rochester Covenant Church in Rochester, Minn, with Rev. John DuBall officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in Riceville, Iowa. Friends may call Thursday, August 29, 2002 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Vine Funeral Home in Rochester and one hour prior to the service on Friday.

Virgil Eugene Mason, 80, died Monday, August 26, 2002 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester.

Mason was born June 23, 1922 in Hawkeye, Iowa. He lived in Laverne, Iowa for nine years and was reared in Charles City, Iowa. He moved to Riceville in the mid 40’s until moving to Rochester in 1992. He married Betty Holsather in November of 1963 in Minneapolis, Minn. She died in October of 1999. He married his first wife, Betty Bishop in Big Springs, Texas in June of 1941, she died in 1962. He was a food market owner and operator for 36 years. He was a member of Rochester Covenant Church and the American Legion and V.F.W. of Rochester. Mason was a veteran of W.W. II (South Pacific). He was a retired Lt. Colonel of the U.S.A.F.

He is survived by his children Sharon Gamble, Freeport, 111.; William Mason, Freeport; Susan (Robert) Engen, Minneapolis, Minn.; Martha Holsather, Eden Prairie, Minn.; Ruby Holsather, ’Wake Forest, North Car.; and Timothy (Debbie) Holsather, Clayton, North Car.; brother, Verl (Lorraine) Mason of Chula Vista, Calif.; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mason is preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Edgar, one sister, Velda and two wives.

Memorials may be made to Rochester Covenant Church.

Source: Riceville Recorder; Aug. 29, 2002 Page 7
from Elma library collection assembled by Marian (Marr) McGee
Transcribed by ABBYY FineReader® 12, Adapted to the Web by Bill Waters