Virginia Frances “Virgie” Lange
CROFTON — Virginia Frances “Virgie” Lange, 91, Crofton, died July 12, 2019, at the Avera Sister James Care Center, Yankton S.D.
Visitation and a Vigil Service were Monday at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Crofton, and continued July 16 at the church.
Mass of Christian Burial was July 16 at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, with Rev. Andy Phan officiating.
Burial was in the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery, Crofton.
Pallbearers were her grandchildren, Scott DeVos, Evan Lange, Mark Lange, Colby Lange, Jack Lange, Megan Lange, Heather Lange and Sarah Lange.
The Wintz Funeral Home, Crofton, assisted with the arrangements.
Virgie was born Oct. 23, 1927, the fifth of nine children to Joe and Theresa (Guenther) Maly, in Yankton, S.D. She attended grade school at St. Rose of Lima School, Crofton, and graduated from Holy Trinity High School, Hartington, in 1945. She taught in country schools in Knox and Cedar counties until her marriage to Robert “Rob” Lange Nov. 22, 1950, at St. Rose. Together they raised their family on their dairy farm west of Crofton. They moved into a home in Crofton in 1997.
Virgie loved teaching. She taught kindergarten through eighth grade students before she got married; sewing to her daughters and members of the Eastern Energetics 4-H Club for many years; and CCD to high school students. She read widely, including fiction, literature, Plains history and a variety of non-fiction. She and Rob always had a big garden, where her favorite things to grow were strawberries and tomatoes. No one ever left Virgie’s home hungry. She would cook for
absolutely everyone, from the crew siding the house to the people selling insurance. Her specialties were cinnamon rolls and cloverleaf buns. She enjoyed music and she loved to dance with Rob. She had a knack for being able to visit with virtually anyone.
Possibly her favorite thing to do in the world, though, was to sew. When one of her older nieces graduated from high school, Virgie sewed a colorful double-knit quilt as a graduation gift, and a tradition was born. From then on, every niece, nephew, neighbor and many friends of her children got a warm double-knit quilt. She tied them with yarn on the quilting frame she inherited from her mother-in-law. She also did a lot of mending and repair work on clothing for friends and neighbors, coming up with clever ways to fix things when no one else could.
Virgie served on numerous boards and committees over the years; she most enjoyed her service on the FmHA Advisory Board, the Bloomfield Good Samaritan Advisory Board, the Bloomfield Good Samaritan Auxiliary, and the Northeast Area Agency on Aging. She was a lifelong member of St. Rose Church and was especially active in the Crofton Senior Center, serving as Board President for many years after Rob’s death. She initiated Crofton Tour of Lawns and Gardens, held annually from 2007 through 2014 raising funds for the Center. She was honored for her service to the Center in 2015.
She is survived by nine children, Kathy (Jay) Jorgensen, Gayville, S.D.; Ruth (John) Seaman, Pacifica, Calif.; Sue (the late Denny) DeVos, Sioux Falls, S,D,; Roger (Jeanine) Lange, Crofton; Doug (Laura) Lange, Maumee, Ohio; Pat (Tina) Lange, Crofton; Jeannie Ruhlman, Omaha; Bill (Rhonda) Lange, Raymond; and Peggy Lange, Lincoln; 14 grandchildren, four step grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and 12 step great-grandchildren, her sister, Hilaria (Dickie) Burbach, Hartington; and her brother, Charlie and Mariellen Maly, Crofton.
Virgie was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 50 years, Rob, Oct. 27, 2000, at the age of 76; their young son, Mark; her parents, Joe and Theresa Maly; sisters, Genevieve Bender, Geraldine Bruening, Betty Becker; brothers, Jim, Ron and Paul Maly; and son-in-law, Denny DeVos.
