Virginia was born in Watertown, South Dakota to Claude and Myrtle Crosby Williams on November 11, 1922. She had 4 older siblings, Kathleen, Randall, Jay, and Harlan. She spent her childhood in South Dakota, Iowa, and Missouri (the ancestral home of her parents) before moving with her family to Sacramento, California in 1937. Virginia graduated from C.K. McClatchy High School, where she was a cheerleader, and attended Sacramento City College.
In 1942, Virginia married Wayne Shirley and, in 1944, she was blessed with a daughter, Sherilyn Dee Shirley Owren. In 1962, Virginia married George Garbis and gained 2 step-sons, Lon and Les Garbis. Virginia worked as a lab technician and later as an office manager for insurance agencies until her retirement.
In 1997, Virginia moved to Sunnyvale, California to be near family after retiring. She followed her family again in 2017, moving to the suburbs of Austin, Texas although she always remained a Californian at heart.
Virginia was blessed with a beautiful voice. She was the vocalist in Wayne's dance band during the 1940s and 50s and sang in her church choir. She was also an avid bridge player, continuing to play in multiple groups until her last years when Covid made this impossible. She loved animals of all kinds, was a gourmet cook, had a passion for traveling, and was an adventurous spirit, often taking a new road just to see where it led. Quick witted to the end, she could find the humor in anything and enjoyed exchanging banter with others.
Virginia was also a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her ancestry can be traced back to her 3rd great-grandfather, Richard Crosby (1741-1790), who served in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War. Later, her grandfather, George W. Crosby (1842-1922), served in the 102nd Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. She was very proud of this heritage and strove to pass this passion on to her great-grandchildren.
Virginia is survived by her daughter, Sherilyn Owren, step-son, Les Garbis, granddaughter, Kristin Machamer, grandson-in-law, Daniel Machamer, and great-grandchildren, Remmer, Anaiah, and Aksel.
The support and love that has been extended to Virginia and her family cannot be measured. We wish to thank the staff and caregivers at The Enclave Retirement/Assisted Living, Texas Home Health nurses, A Cedar Park Personal Care Home, the doctors and nurses at St. David's Hospital North Austin, and for the prayers of all.
A memorial service in Texas will be held on June 25th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Wreaths Across America through Virginia's great-grandson's WAA donation page (https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/167298), or with a check made payable to Wreaths Across America and mailed to Sherilyn Owren, 103 County Road 180, #28, Leander, TX 78641 for forwarding to WAA headquarters.
Service will be 11:00am on June 25th at Palm Valley Lutheran Church Cemetery at 2500 E Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock, TX 78665.
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