Virginia "Ginny" Vermilya's Obituary
Daughter of Nellie and Stein Jensen, my great grandmother has an incredible story to tell.She was born on a dairy farm in Racine, Wisconsin on June 17th 1917. She was the first member of her family to be norm on American soil. Her parents had moved to Wisconsin from Aalborg, Denmark. They had 30 cows on 80 acres of land. They had a river on their property. On either side of the river were holes with peat growing in them. As peat is flammable, it soon caught fire due to lighting strikes and burned for years. Storms made these fires flare. Where Ginney grew up, it was cold, snowy, icy, but still nice in that small town; Ginny was twelve when she and her family moved to San Diego.In Chula Vista, she attended Southwest Jr. High, Sweetwater High School (class of 1935), SDSU and Kelsey Jenny Business College. She said that is she could pass on wisdom from her school days she would pass ion patience. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up she laughed and said, “Married.”Her first job was as a secretary for a doctor; she ended up quitting because she did not make enough money.She got married to Robert Vermilya Sr. at the First Presbyterian Church, had a honeymoon in Delmar, and moved to Florida. Her most memorable family was in Ohio where she met 70 relatives. She likes to spend her spare time going to dinner with friends and watching the Padres and Charger games. During World War II her sister Mary worked on a hospital ship. A Kamikaze plane hit her ship and killed several people. Luckily Ginny’s Sister Mary survived. During the Vietnam War, Ginny’s husband, Captain Robert Vermilya was a rescue helicopter pilot. He received a Silver Star in August of 1966 for a rescue Mission.Moments that truly changed her life is when her children were born and when she got married. If she could change one thing that she did in her life, she would have gotten married earlier. Ginny’s advice to future generations is, to be patient, considerate and not to carry grudges. When asked what is most important to her she answered, “Family.” As you can see Ginney has lived a very long and fulfilling life. At nearly 95 years old she had been witness to many historical events.
What’s your fondest memory of Virginia?
What’s a lesson you learned from Virginia?
Share a story where Virginia's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Virginia you’ll never forget.
How did Virginia make you smile?