Official Obituary of
Virgil R. Ronning
May 11, 1925 ~ January 8, 2012 (age 86) 86 Years Old
Virgil Ronning Obituary
Virgil Ronning
Virgil R. Ronning died 8 January 2012 at Chippewa Valley Hospital in Durand, WI. Cancer may have got the last of her, but it could not get the best of her- we, her family, got that in all the years before.
Virgil Ruth Moore was born 11 May 1925 at Cornell, Chippewa County, WI, to Orrin and Susan Alvira (Phillips) Moore. The family then returned to the "home base" Durand, WI area for a short time, then on to Red Wing, MN and back to Durand where she started school. The family then moved in 1931 to Eau Claire, WI before homesteading in the Orr/Nett Lake area of northern MN in 1932. In 1938 they were in the Hibbing, MN area, while there Virgil quit school to help out at home. On 7 December 1941, she and some of her siblings were out skiing and upon returning home their parents informed them of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1942 they were back in the Eau Claire, WI area. She received her high school equivalency diploma in April 1978.
Virgil married Raymond F. Steines August 1944 at Mason City, IA, they later divorced. She married Russell V. Larson at Eau Claire, WI on 25 February 1947; they had 3 sons- Russell died 29 March 1959. She then married Willard J. Whitwam at Waukegan, IL on 3 September 1960; they had a daughter and son and later divorced. She married Floyd R. Ronning at Durand, WI (back to home base) 10 January 1972, Floyd died 8 December 1974. She moved to Hibbing, MN with her two youngest children for a short time before returning to Durand to stay.
She held different jobs, raised her five children pretty much on her own, took in ironing (which is what she was doing on 22 November 1963 when she heard the news that JFK was assassinated), seamstress while at Libby, MT 1964-67, waitress, bartender, cook. She owned and operated, simultaneously, the Shamrock Drive-In and Sunflower Café at Gonvick, MN in the years 1967-1971. She cooked at the Durand Café for a number of years and then worked at Chippewa Valley Hospital and Mo's Café & Sports Bar for a short time before retiring.
Virgil loved to crochet, knit, sew, do crossword puzzles, read and go trout fishing. While living near Bear Creek between Durand and Mondovi you would often find her somewhere along the bank of Bear Creek fishing for trout after a long day of cooking at the café. She also loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husbands and former husbands, three sisters: Grace Green, Gladys Webster and Myrna Martinson, three brothers: infant Clancey, Orville and Marcel Moore, step-grandson: Joshua Bielinski, great grandsons: Guy Shawn Williams and Ky'reece Kylan Williams.
She is survived by one daughter: Peggy (Tim) Bielinski of Independence, WI, four sons: Robert (Ireta) Larson of Bemidji, MN, Larry Larson whereabouts unknown, Dale Larson of Arkansaw, WI, James (Monica) Whitwam of Arkansaw, WI, one step-daughter Judy (Whitwam) Nelson, nine step-sons: Dean, Bill, Greg, Terry and Randy Whitwam, Wade, Tim, James and Michael Ronning, grandchildren: Shannon Larson, Chad (Jeni) Whitwam, Jamie (Jeff) Wieweck, step-granddaughters: Carly Riley, Susan Kniseley and Tanya Bielinski, great grandchildren: Kyle Larson, Kyla Williams-Larson, Kyra Larson, Isaiah, Ethan, Eli Whitwam, Autumn, Kelsey, Kaleb Cochran and Willie Alexander IV, step great grandchildren: Calla, Sierra, Kylie, Katrina, Kaden, Ethan, Gavin, Arabelle and Audrianna, one brother: Gerald Moore of Arkansaw, WI, nieces and nephews, granddog Sadie and her cat Possum.
The family would like to thank the staff at Chippewa Valley Hospital for making her last days as comfortable as they possibly could.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at Goodrich Funeral Home in Durand, WI. Pastor Dan Richardson officiating. Burial will be at Lake View Cemetery in Eau Claire, WI. Friends may call one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
118 East Madison Street
Durand, WI 54736
118 East Madison Street
Durand, WI 54736
Virgil R. Ronning died 8 January 2012 at Chippewa Valley Hospital in Durand, WI. Cancer may have got the last of her, but it could not get the best of her- we, her family, got that in all the years before.
Virgil Ruth Moore was born 11 May 1925 at Cornell, Chippewa County, WI, to Orrin and Susan Alvira (Phillips) Moore. The family then returned to the "home base" Durand, WI area for a short time, then on to Red Wing, MN and back to Durand where she started school. The family then moved in 1931 to Eau Claire, WI before homesteading in the Orr/Nett Lake area of northern MN in 1932. In 1938 they were in the Hibbing, MN area, while there Virgil quit school to help out at home. On 7 December 1941, she and some of her siblings were out skiing and upon returning home their parents informed them of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1942 they were back in the Eau Claire, WI area. She received her high school equivalency diploma in April 1978.
Virgil married Raymond F. Steines August 1944 at Mason City, IA, they later divorced. She married Russell V. Larson at Eau Claire, WI on 25 February 1947; they had 3 sons- Russell died 29 March 1959. She then married Willard J. Whitwam at Waukegan, IL on 3 September 1960; they had a daughter and son and later divorced. She married Floyd R. Ronning at Durand, WI (back to home base) 10 January 1972, Floyd died 8 December 1974. She moved to Hibbing, MN with her two youngest children for a short time before returning to Durand to stay.
She held different jobs, raised her five children pretty much on her own, took in ironing (which is what she was doing on 22 November 1963 when she heard the news that JFK was assassinated), seamstress while at Libby, MT 1964-67, waitress, bartender, cook. She owned and operated, simultaneously, the Shamrock Drive-In and Sunflower Café at Gonvick, MN in the years 1967-1971. She cooked at the Durand Café for a number of years and then worked at Chippewa Valley Hospital and Mo's Café & Sports Bar for a short time before retiring.
Virgil loved to crochet, knit, sew, do crossword puzzles, read and go trout fishing. While living near Bear Creek between Durand and Mondovi you would often find her somewhere along the bank of Bear Creek fishing for trout after a long day of cooking at the café. She also loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husbands and former husbands, three sisters: Grace Green, Gladys Webster and Myrna Martinson, three brothers: infant Clancey, Orville and Marcel Moore, step-grandson: Joshua Bielinski, great grandsons: Guy Shawn Williams and Ky'reece Kylan Williams.
She is survived by one daughter: Peggy (Tim) Bielinski of Independence, WI, four sons: Robert (Ireta) Larson of Bemidji, MN, Larry Larson whereabouts unknown, Dale Larson of Arkansaw, WI, James (Monica) Whitwam of Arkansaw, WI, one step-daughter Judy (Whitwam) Nelson, nine step-sons: Dean, Bill, Greg, Terry and Randy Whitwam, Wade, Tim, James and Michael Ronning, grandchildren: Shannon Larson, Chad (Jeni) Whitwam, Jamie (Jeff) Wieweck, step-granddaughters: Carly Riley, Susan Kniseley and Tanya Bielinski, great grandchildren: Kyle Larson, Kyla Williams-Larson, Kyra Larson, Isaiah, Ethan, Eli Whitwam, Autumn, Kelsey, Kaleb Cochran and Willie Alexander IV, step great grandchildren: Calla, Sierra, Kylie, Katrina, Kaden, Ethan, Gavin, Arabelle and Audrianna, one brother: Gerald Moore of Arkansaw, WI, nieces and nephews, granddog Sadie and her cat Possum.
The family would like to thank the staff at Chippewa Valley Hospital for making her last days as comfortable as they possibly could.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at Goodrich Funeral Home in Durand, WI. Pastor Dan Richardson officiating. Burial will be at Lake View Cemetery in Eau Claire, WI. Friends may call one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Visitation
JAN 11. 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (CST)
Goodrich Funeral Home118 East Madison Street
Durand, WI 54736
Service
JAN 11. 2:00 PM (CST)
Goodrich Funeral Home118 East Madison Street
Durand, WI 54736
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Virgil R. Ronning, please visit our floral store.
Friends and family have shared their relationship to show their support.
How do you know Virgil R. Ronning?
We are sorry for your loss.
Help others honor Virgil's memory.
Email
Print
Copy
Services
You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Virgil R. Ronning
© 2024 Goodrich Funeral Home. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility