Virginia G Hains

Virginia Hains, 94, passed away peacefully on November 6th, 2017 at Panorama Convalescent Center in Lacey, WA. She was born in a log cabin in Cle Elum, WA on February 23rd, 1923. Her parents were Frank and Hazel Graves. Virginia graduated from Cle Elum high school in 1941. The parents sold their property and the family moved to Kirkland, WA.

Virginia worked for Boeing Airline Company and the Lake Washington Shipyard from 1942 to 1948. She enjoyed many jobs in the medical field: Group Health in Seattle, 1948-1949, Medical Secretary in a Pathology Lab in Wenatchee 1950-1951, U.S. Public Health Service Wenatchee 1951-1962. She relocated to Olympia, WA where she worked for the U.S. Forest Service 1962-1963.

Her most memorable job was working at Madigan Army Medical Hospital in Tacoma, WA in the pathology department under the supervision of Col. William Meriwether 1963-1973. Virginia retired from federal government in 1973. She remained lifelong friends with Col. Meriwether and his wife even after they moved to Texas. They exchanged cards and letters every year.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Charles (1981), James (2008), sister Helen Summers (Bratt) (1996), husbands; Del Broden (1986), James Hains (2001) and Roger Roberts (2015).

Virginia never had children of her own, but played a big role in each of her nieces and nephews lives. Her love of family has extended throughout three generations. Virginia is survived by many immediate family members: Diane Adams-Kegley (Charles), Stan Bratt (Marty), Steve Bratt (Sharron), Jan Graves, Jim Graves (Sherry), and their children: Tammy Adams, Trisha Adams Goettle (Travis), Chad Bratt (Autumn), Brandon Bratt, Alicia Kegley Garrett (Travis) and three great great nephews Michael and Payton Goettle and Nolan Garrett. Virginia was "Gramma". She also shared her affection to many extended family members, the Graves, Brodens, Hains and Roberts families.

Virginia's many talents included cooking, baking and canning to the delight of her family. We will miss her apple and pumpkin pies, her fabulous cinnamon rolls and her prize dill pickles. She enjoyed music, playing her violin and singing in the Olympia First Methodist Church choir, gardening and sewing with a treadle machine or with her fancy electric. She and her Nikon camera took some amazing photographs of places where she traveled, of people she loved and her roses. She enjoyed entering her crafts, photography and baked goods in the Thurston County Fair where she brought home many blue ribbons. She even took it upon herself to experiment with electronics and build a console tv and a stereo. She enjoyed researching family history. She was a member of the Wenatchee and Chahalis Lady Elks and the Olympia Lady Kiwanis. She loved driving her "Lincoln" to the grocery store or heading south for the winters to Arizona. There is so much more we could share about our special "Gramma".

Our family expresses sincere thanks to Panorama Convalescent Center and Hospice caregivers. We appreciate your excellent care and compassion during her last year of life.

Memorial services will be November 25th, 2017 at 1:30pm at Mills and Mills Funeral Home, 5725 Littlerock Rd SW, Tumwater WA 98512. Reception to follow. Virginia loved flowers, but donations to Panorama Convalescent Center, Hospice or to the Olympia First Methodist Church would make Virginia smile.