Virginia L. Shields, 93, of Lincolnville, died Thursday evening, January 8th, 2015, at the Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. She was born Wednesday, October 5, 1921, on the family farm near Ramona, the daughter of Alexander and Leah Ethel (Riffel) Brunner.
Funeral Service will be held at 10:00am, Friday, January 16th, 2015, at the St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lincolnville, with Rev. Alan Stahlecker officiating; burial will follow at the Lewis Cemetery, Ramona. A Prayer Service will be held at 7pm Thursday at the Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home, Herington Chapel; and the family will receive friends until 9pm after the prayer service.
Mrs. Shields was a farm wife and homemaker. She was primary bookkeeper for the Shields Farms. She was a member of the St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lincolnville; and taught catechism classes and Sunday school for a number of years. Graduated from Ramona High School with the class of 1939. She took college classes at Chapman, and received her teaching certificate from Emporia Normal School. She taught school for 6 years in Dickinson and Marion Counties.
Virginia helped organize the Lincolnville Wide Awake 4-H Club where she was a community leader and a project leader for a number of years. She was an active member of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML): and held offices at the local, zone, and district levels. She also served as president of the local branch of Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) for 20 years, and with her husband served as Lamplighters for the association.
Virginia enjoyed preparing and delivering meals to the fields, as well as driving a tractor or a truck on the farm. She enjoyed babysitting her grandchildren who often accompanied her on outings, and they later helped her with getting around with her walker.
Married Fred M. Shield on April 23, 1944, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Ramona; he preceded in death on June 9, 2004. Also preceded in death by a son Carrol Shields (08/10/2003), two (2) brothers: Lauren Brunner (12/03/2009) and Kenneth W Brunner (05/15/1945), and her parents.
She is survived by two (2) sons: Glenn Shields (wife-Marcia) of Lost Springs, and Kenneth Shields of the home; her daughter-in-law Kim Shields of Lincolnville; and a sister Betty Dyck of Minneapolis, KS. She is also survived by seven (7) grandchildren: Glenn & Marcia’s children-Anita Clausing (husband-Jon) and Kevin Shields (wife-Susan); Carrol & Kim’s children- Gavin, Heath, Allison, Brenna, and Carissa; and ten (10) great-grandchildren.
The family request memorials to the St. John’s Lutheran Church of Lincolnville; and they may be sent in care of the Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home & Crematory, Herington Chapel, 404 S. Broadway, Herington, KS, 67449-3038.