Virginia I. Clark

Virginia Iona Geiger Clark passed away on August 22, 2017 after an extended battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Her devotion to her family and her firm belief in God supported her throughout her life and gave her both purpose and peace.

Virginia was born to the late John and Louisa Geiger in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin on March 6, 1928. She grew up on her parent’s dairy farm and attended a one-room country school before graduating from Verona (Wisconsin) High School in 1945. Soon thereafter, she moved to Minneapolis with a friend, learned teletype and joined the fledgling airline TWA. Virginia moved with TWA to a number of cities, ending with Kansas City in the late 1940’s where she met her future husband, Eugene “Gene” Clark.

Virginia and Gene Clark married in 1949 and had three children: Cheryl, Jim, and Steve in 1953, 1955, and 1956. Being a mother and homemaker was Virginia’s focus and passion throughout the 1950’s to 70’s. She loved to cook, sew, garden, and care for her three children.

After her children were grown and experiencing a divorce, Virginia exhibited courage by rejoining the work force, first with Welcome Wagon as a hostess for three years and then with the Jones Store for ten years as a sales associate. Virginia also became very involved in church life and with various Christian ministries. A highlight of her service was eight missionary trips to rural areas of China. A primary objective for these trips was to smuggle Chinese language bibles, causing more than a little concern for her children.

Virginia loved being a grandmother to each of her seven grandchildren, cooking special meals for them, hosting sleep-overs, travelling to visit them, and attending their school and athletic events. In recent years, she was blessed by the arrival of three great-grandchildren, who she treasured.

Virginia was kind, soft-spoken, fun loving, and adventurous. She greatly enjoyed travel, gardens, and meals and celebrations with friends and family. She is dearly missed by her loved ones, who celebrate the fact that she is at peace and free from pain.

Virginia is survived by her daughter Cheryl Flood of Leawood, KS and sons Jim Clark (wife: Lyn) of Austin, TX and Steve Clark (wife: Lora Beth) of El Dorado Hills, CA; grandchildren Katelin Saunders (husband: Lloyd), Jimmy Flood, Dylan Clark, Austin Clark, Aaryn Kaufmann (husband: Brad), Anna Sandlin (husband: Zech), and Ben Clark; and great grandchildren Natalie Kaufmann, Harper Saunders, and Henry Sandlin. She is preceded in death by her brother, Leon Geiger and her parents.

A memorial service will be held for Virginia at the McGilley Memorial Chapel in Kansas City, Missouri at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 26th, with a graveside service following at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Overland Park, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests donations to Catholic Community Hospice.