Virginia Don Preston Fodge

A full lifetime of 85 years, 2 months and 6 days was completed by Virginia Don Preston Fodge on 21 May 2017. She went to be with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ while in Tranquility Hospice in Marietta, Georgia. Several bouts with gall stone surgeries over a period of 7 months had left her in a weakened condition that she was unable to overcome.

She and her husband, Robert W. Fodge, had enjoyed living with their daughter, Susan Elaine Fodge Vance for the past 3+ years in Acworth, Georgia (in the northwest area of the Atlanta, Georgia Metroplex).

Virginia was born March 15, 1932 in Lamar County (south of Paris, Texas). Her parents were Luther and Shadric Preston and Julia Ann Randell Preston.

She was preceded in death by a daughter Debra Louise Fodge; parents, Julia Ann Randell Preston and Luther Shadric Preston; brothers James Luther Preston and Larry Gene Preston; sisters Alice Louise Preston Hightower and Dorothy Fay Preston and son-in-law Paul Wayne Vance.

The first 19 years of her life involved the problems of growing up on a farm during the great depression, followed by WWII. The labor of cotton farming, milking cows, gardening, and surviving the hardships of those periods were familiar, everyday experiences.

Graduation from Delmar High School in 1949, as valedictorian, enabled her to attend Paris Junior College where, two years later, she graduated with honors. During that time, in addition to her scholastic studies, she also worked in the college bookstore as well as a local bakery to pay her way in college. Also, she found time to play basketball for the Paris Junior College Dragonettes and was a runner up to the Homecoming Queen of PJC.

It was also at college that she and her future husband, Robert W. Fodge, met, fell in love and later married on 8 September, 1951 at home of her sister, Alice Louise Preston Hightower.

The following two years were spent at College Station, Texas where she worked at the Texas A&M Extension Service while her husband finished his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering.

In 1953, she and her husband moved to Dallas, Texas area where he worked as an engineer at Chance Vought Aircraft Company. At the same time, Virginia worked as secretary for the head of a law firm.

Late in 1954, Virginia resumed her college career at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas where she earned a BS degree in education and graduated magna cum laude. During that time period a son, Robert Michael Fodge was born, following by the birth of a daughter, Debra Louise Fodge who died in infancy.

In the following years, two more children were born; Susan Elaine Fodge and Jeffrey Donald Fodge – which meant that Virginia was heavily involved in the growth, development and management of three children while Robert continued a career at Chance Vought, Ling Temco Vought and E Systems Inc.

As the three children reached school age, Virginia was able to assume a teaching career and utilize her education degree earned at North Texas State. This degree was supplemented by a Masters Degree in education earned at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

While teaching, Virginia became interested in the subject of genealogy, a subject which occupied much of her time for the rest of her life. During her research she was able to trace many of her ancestral lines back several generations – some back into the 1600s. The most interesting line however was found in the Bible. She was related to Jesus Christ as a child of God when she trusted Him as Saviour. His genealogy is found in the Bible and is traced back to Adam who was created in the image of God!

She is survived by her husband, Robert W. Fodge; son, Robert Michael Fodge and his wife Janet Lee Sanders Fodge; daughter, Susan Elaine Fodge Vance; and son, Jeffrey Donald Fodge and his wife Glenda Sue Gurley Fodge.

In addition, she is survived by seven grandchildren (Jill Renee Fodge Brannon and husband Brad Allen Brannon, Leslie Ann Fodge Gore and husband John David Gore, Joshua Paul Vance and wife Denna Chastain Vance, Laurie Christine Vance, Lindsay Nicole Fodge Essery and husband Joshua David Essery, Matthew Glen Fodge and wife Kailee Erin Evans Fodge and Natalie Elizabeth Fodge).

She is also survived by seven great grandchildren (Eli Michael Brannon, Blake Brannon, Lydia Jillian Gore, John Luke Gore, Noah Benjamin Essery, Ethan Isaiah Essery and Bryson Paul Vance) plus numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.

Services for Virginia are as follows:

Visitation – Tuesday, May 23, 2017 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Woodstock Funeral Home 8855 Main Street Woodstock, GA 30188

Funeral – Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 11:00 am at Hillcrest Baptist Church 6069 Woodstock Road Acworth, GA 30102 with Rev. Mike Maxwell and Rev. Thom Stapleton officiating

Interment – Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at Rolling Hills Memory Gardens, 4355 Highway 92, Acworth, GA 30102

Pallbearers – Matthew Glen Fodge, Joshua Paul Vance, Mike Ryan, Wayne Carroll, Ricki Boyle and Paul Lamb

Honorary Pallbearers – John Gore, Joshua Essery, Vance Nutt, Ken Ashlock and Brad Brannon