Her father: Walter Yettke (age 35 at birth; Mother: Mary Ann Restoff Yettke(age29)
Her parents were married Nov 14, 1916.
Her brothers Edward: (10 years her senior) and Clarence (8 years older) are deceased.
Her godmother was Aunt Louise Yettke.
Her grandparents lived across the street from the priest's parsonage and her mentor was MSGR Cerenski.
As a young girl, Ginny worked in a bank for $20 pay every two weeks; of that, she helped her parents by contributing $15 toward the household expenses. She had also worked as an usher in a movie theater where she enjoyed watching all the movies for free. She was so well liked that she received a promotion as a ticket seller. She said that the older ticket sellers liked to go dancing so they would hire her to fill in. By doing this, she made a good living as a very young lady.
Ginny was also a part-time model in a large department store. The great benefit in doing this was she got to purchase the clothes and shoes she modeled at steeply discounted prices. During the hard years of her upbringing, she had a closet full of shoes whereas most young ladies had one or two pairs!
She graduated from East Saint Louis High School in 1946.
Ginny has said she was greatly influenced by the depression. Up until she became hospitalized, she was still clipping coupons- and used the savings to treat herself to steak dinner or being generous with others who needed help.
She married her first husband, Norman Carl Williams in 1948 and stayed married until his death in 1993. She later married James H. Laura and they remained married until he died in 2019. Both Ginny and James were residents of the Village of Incarnate Word at the time of their deaths.
In 1950, she took a civil service job at Scott Air Force Base as a GS 2 typist for the 3310th Technical Training Wing, United States Air Force (then recently renamed from the War Department).
In 1954, Ginny was diagnosed with cancer of the eye and she became a research subject of Dr. James Barrett Brown. Like the strong lady many know, she remained awake during eye surgery- which cured her. The outcome of this surgery was documented in medical papers.
Sometime later, her military unit was moved to Randolph AFB, TX and she and Norman moved to San Antonio.
For a time, they owned an airplane and this was the source of great adventure and joy for Ginny and Norman.
Ginny worked diligently learning accounting and she took classes at St. Mary's University and San Antonio College to bolster her knowledge. By dedication to duty and the ability to get things done, she rose in rank to a GS 13 supervising a group of people who served our country by helping foreign students obtain military training in the United States. The office she retired from after 38 years was known as the Foreign Military Training Affairs Group of the Air Training Command (now AETC).
Her duties included overseeing a staff that arranged for students from allied countries worldwide to learn military skills at our bases. She specifically was charged with ensuring that foreign governments were charged properly for their training officers and enlisted personnel received. In addition, she helped facilitate events that taught foreign students about American democracy and specifically about the diverse customs of San Antonio. Many of the students she helped were, or became, influential leaders in their countries. Most people do not know this, but the work she did helped facilitate a better understanding of our country and the people she helped left with a better impression of the United States. We might as well call Ginny a peace maker!
Ginny was well respected in the training community. She was instrumental in designing a new automated accounting system that tracked finances associated with foreign military training. She made regular trips to the Pentagon and the Air Force Accounting and Center in Denver, CO. There she briefed high ranking military and civilian officials on the training programs conducted by ATC, many of which were held at Lackland AFB in San Antonio.
Ginny broke glass ceilings being the first woman to be asked to join the Federal Government Accountants' Association plus she was the first woman to be president of the Serra Club for Vocations.
Ginny was a devout Catholic and was glad to share her religious beliefs. She was also a very generous person and would help anyone in need. For 40 years, she prepared the Christmas Crib at St. Pius X Catholic Church. While a resident of the Village of Incarnate Word, she has helped with multiple charitable events and become a friend to many, many residents and staff members.
Ginny was a member of the San Antonio Conservation Society, Catholic Daughters, Government Management Association, Air Force Comptrollers Association, St. Judes Guild, and Patricia Stevens Modeling and Finishing School. And Delta Airlines awarded her the Flying Colonel Award!
Ginny will be sorely missed by her friends and family.
A funeral service for Virginia will be held Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Chapel of the Incarnate Word, 4503 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sunsetfuneralhomesa.com for the Laura family.
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