Virginia Lee Burkhart

A celebration of Virginia's life will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, at United Presbyterian Church in Albany.

Virginia was born in 1924 at St. Mary's Hospital in Albany. She was the daughter of Wilbur and Mildred (Whetstone) Burkhart. Her great-grandfather and his brother were among the first pioneers to settle Albany, having come by covered wagon train in 1846. She was also a descendant of the first settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.

Virginia grew up on a farm seven miles east of Albany and attended Price School, a one-room schoolhouse. A highly accomplished 4-H member, Virginia won numerous awards at the Oregon State Fair for her cooking, lambs and hogs, with special recognition of her achievements given by Governor Sprague in 1941. She graduated from Albany High School in 1942 and attended Oregon State College.

Not one to be held back by social conventions, Virginia struck out on her own as a young woman to build her career and experience life on both coasts. She worked as a secretary to the Iron Ore Commodity Specialist for the United States in Washington, D.C. Virginia also worked in Portland, Corvallis, Los Angeles and San Francisco before returning to Albany.

After retiring she loved to travel, collect antiques and work in her garden. Virginia volunteered many hours of her time at various Albany organizations. She was a past member of Beta Sigma Phi and D.A.R.

She was preceded in death by brother Wilbur and sister Betty.

Virginia is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.