A Mass of the Resurrection was held Thursday, April 21, at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Grand Junction for Virgene Marie Nation, 85, longtime Grand Junction resident.
The Rev. Don Ries celebrated the mass. Sheilah Pound was soloist, with Monica McGregor as accompanist. Lector was Marilyn Lansman. Gift bearers were Ben and Emily Most and Eli and Lillian Muir, and altar servers were Matt and Lindsey Paulsen.
Honorary casket bearers were grandchildren Nick (Carrie) Rinehart, Jenny Rinehart, Hilary, Julie, Tony, Jackie, Kelsey, Amber, Hannah, Rebecca and Grace Nation, Melinda (Kevin)Teagarden, Kimberly and Amanda Karber, Korina (John) Wood, Jason (Alison) Nation, Ashley (Rafa) Martinez, Macy and Stacy Mears, Leah Clark, Eli and Lillian Muir, Rhett Hammel and Ryan Hammel, and Ben and Emily Most, and great-grandchildren Isaiah, Jake and Jordyn Rinehart, Makayla Moore, Clementine Nation, Iker Martinez, and Chole and Abigail Teagarden.
Casket bearers were grandchildren Ryan (Nicole) Nation, Jeff Nation, Mark (Leah) Rinehart, Nick (Julie) Nation, Kyle Karber and Brian (Jeanna) Nation. Interment was in Mount Calvary Cemetery at Grand Junction. Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson was in charge of arrangements.
Virgene was born Aug. 8, 1925, in the family home in Beaver Township to Philip and Ursula (Lentz) Lawler. She graduated from Ogden High School in 1942. Gene was in the Homemaking Club and the Camera Club. She was Homecoming queen her senior year.
She worked in the Boone County courthouse in 1941 and 1942, then at the Ankeny Ordnance Plant in 1943.
Virgene married Paul Lowry in 1944, was widowed, and married Jack Nation in 1949. She provided home care for many elderly in the area. She was active in Grand Junction Business and Professional Women’s Club, St. Brigid Altar Society, Greene County Meals on Wheels, and Greene County ARC (food pantry).
Her hobbies included spectator sports, sewing, reading, gardening, furniture refinishing, bird watching, going to auctions, and puttering outside. Mom took great pride in and pleasure from her family. She was remarkable, both dignified and fun, with a dry sense of humor. She was a beautiful woman inside and out.
Survivors include her 11 children, Theresa (Gregg) Gross of Venice, FL, Francis (Tracy) Nation of Ogden, Liz Karber of Glendale, AZ, Dan (Vicki) Nation of Jefferson, Patty (Paul) Mears of Jefferson, John (Jody) Nation of Ogden, Hal (Terri) Nation of Fort Dodge, Chris (Audrey Staples) Nation of Ogden, Catherine (Brad) Clark of Boone, Dot (Bob) Muir of Rippey, and Cec (Bill) Hammel of Jefferson; 31 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Susie Lawler of Ogden; other relatives and many friends.
Virgene was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Leo and Charles Lawler, her sisters Grace Garland and Vera Lawler, her brother-in-law Pat Garland, her sister-in-law Jackie Lawler, and granddaughter Grace Nation. She will be greatly missed by many.