Virginia was born at her family homestead, next to Little Creek, in Dublin, Virginia. She had a wonderful childhood in a house with 2 large bedrooms and a kitchen with her parents, Cameron and Bertha Combs, her sisters Lena, Mary and Bernice, and brothers Victor, Wesley and Herbert. They grew up playing on the hills, picking berries, swimming in the creek and of course worshipping God. Her parents, Bernice, Lena and Herbert all welcomed her to heaven with Jesus. Other very close Virginia relatives waiting for her in heaven were John, Junior and Keith.
As young women, she and her sisters Lena and Mary sang gospel songs on the radio. She also travelled to different churches with Lois Hash, ministering to others, as they were both preachers and singers.
In Dublin, Virginia, everyone moved out of the homestead, and into houses all along the same road. At the end of that road was a diner called The Gap where Virginia worked for a while, it was built in 1938 by General Boyd in anticipation of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and was a close walk from home.
By early 1957, Virginia had moved to Dover, Delaware to live with her brother Wesley. She was working at a restaurant there, when she met a handsome man named Loren Swale. They were married in December 1957 and started their married life in Dover. In 1958, their first son Edward was born. Virginia loved children and was happy to welcome a second son, Michael in 1960, and then Jeff in 1962. She became a very busy woman with 3 toddlers.
Loren was in the Army Air Force, and thankfully during the early years they didn’t have to move from Dover Air Force Base. The family moved several times because of the military - first to Holloman Air Force Base outside of Alamogordo, New Mexico, and then to Dublin, Virginia while he was in Vietnam where her extended family could love and support her. Virginia did double duty while dad was deployed overseas to Vietnam, and Korea, yet she still had that smile and laugh.
In 1968 came the last big move, to Seattle WA. Loren’s friend had said there were good jobs to be found across the country. So off they went to another new place. They rented a house for the first year, then bought the home where they lived for the next 32 years.
Virginia found Glad Tidings Assembly of God, the place she would make her home church. She and the boys attended regularly. Loren joined them off and on. Virginia enjoyed the Women’s Bible Studies, teaching in the Vacation Bible School, singing in the choir, and bringing food for the potlucks. Everyone enjoyed Virginia’s cooking, especially her macaroni and cheese! If you shared dinner at the Swale home, you enjoyed both good food and a lot of laughter too.
As the years went by and the boys grew, she took a job caring for people in their homes, providing even the most difficult individuals with the love and respect that she believed everyone deserved.
She enjoyed the times they would travel across the country to visit her family in Virginia. They would always have good laughs, good food, and good company. All accompanied with a lot of love. She may have lived across the country, but she always stayed close to her Virginia roots. Several times over the years she was even able to go visit on her own, and just enjoy the time away with her family. She came home refreshed and recharged.
She also stayed close to her love of God, attending Bible College in Seattle in the 1970’s, and ministering to others even through her 90’s. In 2001, Loren passed away, and Virginia moved to the Northaven Retirement Community. She thoroughly enjoyed her years there. She reestablished herself at a new Church, Lakeview Free Methodist Church, where she loved the people and community she found. She enjoyed the activities at Northaven, seeing the fall leaves, talent shows, painting, and writing poems. She became one of the persons running the building Gift Shop. She thoroughly enjoyed that job. In the last several years she also became the Resident Council President, doing a fantastic job.
Her family expanded over the years too. Her legacy includes grandchildren who have followed her lead and gone on short-term mission trips, changing the lives of many.
Listed below in order of age:
Three Children: Ed (Wendy), Mike (Toni), Jeff (Brenda)
Ten Grandchildren: Robyn (Scott), Matthew (who went to wait for her in heaven January 8, 2012), Cindy (Harold), Michael, Eddie (Angela), David (Loralee), Elizabeth (Aaron), Ashley (Jericho), Cameron (Tiara), Megan.
Ten Great Grandchildren: Asher, Avery, Rylie, Gabriel, Benjamin, Emma, Ryder, Caleb, Conrad, and due to appear soon Levi.
Gifts of Flowers may be sent to Evergreen-Washelli for the viewing and they will deliver them to the memorial service.
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