Whitman County Gazette - Serving Whitman County since 1877

On Nov. 20, 1926, a blond, blue-eyed baby girl was born to John and Elizabeth Krom at the farm home on Alkali Flat, south of Dusty, Wash. They named her Virginia Helen. She was the fourth in a row of six daughters.

Virginia attended the Zaring Country School for two years until the district consolidated with the LaCrosse School District. She graduated from LaCrosse High School in 1944. Following graduation, she attended Central Washington College at Ellensburg on a voice scholarship with hopes of training for the opera. But things changed when her Marine sweetheart returned from overseas, and wedding plans began to take place. Marion Sanders and Virginia were married on June 16, 1946, at the (then) St. John's Congregational Church, now the Country Bible Church near Dusty.

To this union, two children were born: Gregory John on Jan. 30, 1949, and Denise Dawn on Oct. 3, 1955. Denise passed away in 1994 from complications of radiation.

After the children were in school, Virginia decided to go to work. She started at the Whitman County Title Office, then Old National Bank, then the Colfax Gazette, and finally at KCLX radio delivering the local news on the air at noon.

Virginia was very active with the Rainbow Girls and Eastern Star. She and Marion served nine times as Worthy Matron and Patron. Virginia was appointed Grand Esther of the Grand Chapter of Washington. She was also a member of the Athenaeum Club.

Virginia loved music. She sang for many funerals, weddings, social organizations and gatherings. Not only did she enjoy solo work, she loved to direct church choirs. Her first directing job was at the Plymouth Congregational Church where she has retained her membership. Her next directing job involved traveling to the Endicott Trinity Lutheran Church. She ended up back in Colfax with the First Baptist Church Choir for a total of 55 years of directing. That is a lot of arm-waving!

Being a farm girl, she loved to work in the soil, and you would often see her out in her rose garden or up in the rock garden getting her hands dirty. Marion and Virginia also made frequent trips in their motorhome.

Marion and Virginia moved to Hill-Ray Plaza in Colfax in August 2007. Marion passed away on Nov. 27, 2007, and Virginia has continued living at Hill-Ray since that time. At Hill-Ray, she didn't hesitate to get involved, serving as Decorating Chairman for seven years as well as on the Board of Directors. She moved to the Courtyard a few years ago.

Virginia is survived by her son, Gregory and his wife Carol, Cheney; three grandchildren, Rhonda (Shawn) Hause, Thompson Falls, Mont., Keith (Stacy) Sanders, Sedro Wolley, Wash., and Brian Sanders, Quincy, Wash .; and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters, Joanne Kimmel, Medford, Ore., and Claudia Marshall, Renton, Wash .; one sister-in-law, Kay Krom, Pullman, Wash .; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, daughter sisters, Alma Natwick, Margaret Bolz, and Ruby Brown, brother John Krom, daughter-in-law Nancy Sanders, and great-grandson Brayden "Bubba" Hause.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 19, 2021, at 11:00 AM at Bruning Funeral Home followed by a graveside service at the Colfax Cemetery. Viewing will be Thursday, March 18, 8:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

The family suggests memorial gifts be made to the Colfax Fire Department or the Colfax Fire and Rescue ambulance service c/o Volunteer Fireman, Inc., 400 N. Main Street, Colfax, WA 99111. Bruning Funeral Home is caring for the family. Online condolences can be made at http://www.bruningfuneralhome.com.