Virginia Lea Carlson, 91, of Bloomington, Indiana, formerly of Spaulding, Illinois and originally of New Berlin, died at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at her apartment in Gentry Park Senior Living Center.
Virginia was born on June 9, 1932, in New Berlin, Illinois, the daughter of Luther E. and Cora Mae Milby Lovell. Virginia married F. Richard Carlson on January 2, 1953, in Paw Paw, Illinois; he preceded her in death in May of 2022. Virginia was also preceded in death by her parents, her parents-in-law and her firstborn infant son, Tommy Joe.
Virginia is a 1950 graduate of New Berlin High School, from which her mother, siblings and all three of her children also graduated. Her childhood dream was to become a nurse and come back and take care of the whole town. She did precisely that, graduating from Paris Hospital’s School of Nursing in Paris, Illinois in October 1953. She then became a pediatric nursing instructor at St. Anthony’s Hospital School of Nursing in Terre Haute and passed the Indiana State Board examination to become a registered nurse in September 1954. In 1964, after continuing her career and giving birth to three children, she made her way back to New Berlin. Before long, she became the nurse in Dr. Glen H. Wichterman’s office, where she worked until the doctor retired and she had helped his successor become established. Virginia concluded her career at the Motherhouse of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in Riverton, Illinois, where she was the night nurse in a private home for retired nuns until she herself retired at the age of 70. In her spare time, Virginia enjoyed sewing and gardening and, as she found more leisure time once her children were grown, she also enjoyed reading and cooking.
She is survived by her son, Lawrence Richard “Larry” Carlson (Brenda) of Springfield; two daughters, Lynnette Rae “Lynn” Carlson (Joni Reagan) of Bloomington, Indiana and Nancy LuAnn Carlson (Mike Heddleston) of Cortland, Ohio; and two siblings, James Lovell of Florida and Betty Lou Bergschneider (David) of New Berlin.
A visitation and funeral service will be held on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at Central Baptist (formerly United Baptist) Church, 600 West Birch St. in New Berlin. Family will receive friends from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. The funeral, a celebration of Virginia’s life, will be held at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Mary Ellen Sharp officiating. Guests are invited to stay for lunch and then join the family for burial at Woodwreath Cemetery, located adjacent to Island Grove Methodist Church west of Berlin.
The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home-New Berlin, 714 E. Gibson St., New Berlin.
