Virginia Anne Caplinger Comer

Virginia Anne Caplinger was born on January 19, 1926 in Winchester, Virginia. She was the eldest of two daughters of the Rev. E. B. Caplinger and Kathleen Rebecca Kohr. She spent most of her early years in various small towns in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia as the family moved every few years to different charges of the United Brethren Church. She graduated from Bruce High School in Westernport, Maryland and then graduated from Frostburg State Teachers College (now Frostburg University) in Frostburg, MD. She moved to Takoma Park, Maryland after college and took a job teaching 3rd grade at Bradley Elementary School in Bethesda in 1948. She met her husband Don Ashworth Comer while they both worked there. They were married August 26, 1950 in the United Brethren Church by her father, Rev. Caplinger, in the little town of Riverton, West Virginia where he was pastor at the time. Virginia and Don had two children, the late Stephen Samuel Comer and Rebecca Anne (husband Richard F. Lewis) of Olney, MD and two grandchildren, Rachel Kathleen Lewis (husband Eric Dengler) of El Cerrito, CA and Thomas Comer Lewis of Olney. She has a sister Mary Elizabeth Caplinger of Sandy Spring, MD. Virginia was a member of Knox Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Silver Spring from July 1951 before joining Faith Presbyterian Church in Olney as a charter member. Virginia was a great one to quote poetry. Whining was frowned upon and was met with either “Well, when I grew up during the Great Depression … ” or Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal … or the favorite which she believed and lived, trusting her Savior to see her through. Be Strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift; We have hard work to do, and loads to lift; Shun not the struggle—face it; ‘tis God’s gift. Maltbie Davenport Babcock Psalm 121:1-2 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.