1916
Virginia
2008
Virginia Howell
September 3, 1916 — February 3, 2008
Virginia C. Howell, 91, of Detroit Lakes, died Sunday, February 03, 2008, at St. Mary's Health Center in Detroit Lakes. Mass of Christian Burial will be 12:00 PM Thursday, February 7 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Detroit Lakes with Father Patrick Howell, S.J. officiating. Interment is in St. Aloysius Cemetery, Lisbon, ND. Virginia donated her body to science (University of North Dakota Medical School), and there will be no graveside service at this time.
Visitation will be 3-5 PM Wednesday, February 6 at Holy Rosary Church with a Vigil Service from 8-9 PM and will continue one hour prior to the service on Thursday.
Virginia C. Mikkelson was born on September 3, 1916 in Aberdeen, SD, the daughter of Christian and Margaret (Ryan) Mikkelson. That year she won her first beauty contest, selected as the "Prettiest Baby in Aberdeen". Virginia grew up in Aberdeen, Rockford, IL and Oakes, ND. In Oakes she enjoyed participating in the high school drama club; performing in plays, musicals and declamation speaking. After high school she worked in district government offices in Bismarck, Wahpeton and Fargo before moving to Lisbon, ND in 1938. There she met Joe Howell, a pharmacist in the local drugstore. They married September 5, 1939. As they began their family Joe and Virginia moved from Lisbon, to Duluth MN, Hettinger, ND and Renton, WA. In 1948 they returned to Lisbon and purchased the drugstore. They raised their nine children in Lisbon before retiring to Detroit Lakes in 1974, where the youngest Ginny attended high school.
From 1953 Joe and Virginia immersed themselves in square dancing and ballroom dancing. For many years they taught ballroom dance in towns throughout eastern North Dakota. In 1961 Virginia started a ballet school for girls - sharing her love for the dance.
Virginia taught her children through an enthusiastic outlook, her organizational skills, her dramatic talent, her unwavering love, her unending capacity for work and her manifest religious faith. Her children were ingrained with her confident outlook on life. She was fair in doling out work, but expected good results. For any task not completed satisfactorily there were repeat opportunities to get it done right.
As a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Lisbon and later Holy Rosary Church in Detroit Lakes her deep faith shined bright through her prayer, service and volunteerism. She quietly shared her faith, often through little more than acts of kindness. She possessed the great quality of making others feel special and important.
Though she never was a professional actress, her joy for "the performance" never left her. With her energy for having fun she willingly took center stage to tell an intriguing story using speaking skills, costumes and props to bring events to life. She enjoyed the give-and-take of well planned pranks. Good humor and laughter marked her life.
From childhood she loved the water and enjoyed fishing. In retirement she found relaxation in sailing on Floyd Lake. She initiated every grandchild into the ritual of spray-painting their name inside the culvert at the far end of the lake.
One of her biggest disappointments was never being able to attend college, but she never lost her thirst for learning. She challenged herself through hard work, games of bridge, reading, oil painting, dancing, sailing, volunteering and being a good teacher.
Virginia will be deeply and forever missed by her children: Pat from Seattle, Mike (Kela) from West Fargo, Bill (Lynette) from Prosser, WA, Margaret (Tom) Zidon from Grand Forks, Tom (Kathleen) from Camas, WA, Joe (Carmen) from Lisbon-Kindred, Dan from Medicine Lake, MN, Cathy (Arden) Howey from Beaver Dam, WI, Ginny (Neil) Heinitz from East Wenatchee, WA, 23 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, her sister Jean Berg from Huntington Beach, CA, and a multitude of friends.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Joseph Howell (May 4, 1997), her parents, 4 brothers, 5 sisters and many dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to a charity of your choice in memory of Virginia Howell.
Visitation will be 3-5 PM Wednesday, February 6 at Holy Rosary Church with a Vigil Service from 8-9 PM and will continue one hour prior to the service on Thursday.
Virginia C. Mikkelson was born on September 3, 1916 in Aberdeen, SD, the daughter of Christian and Margaret (Ryan) Mikkelson. That year she won her first beauty contest, selected as the "Prettiest Baby in Aberdeen". Virginia grew up in Aberdeen, Rockford, IL and Oakes, ND. In Oakes she enjoyed participating in the high school drama club; performing in plays, musicals and declamation speaking. After high school she worked in district government offices in Bismarck, Wahpeton and Fargo before moving to Lisbon, ND in 1938. There she met Joe Howell, a pharmacist in the local drugstore. They married September 5, 1939. As they began their family Joe and Virginia moved from Lisbon, to Duluth MN, Hettinger, ND and Renton, WA. In 1948 they returned to Lisbon and purchased the drugstore. They raised their nine children in Lisbon before retiring to Detroit Lakes in 1974, where the youngest Ginny attended high school.
From 1953 Joe and Virginia immersed themselves in square dancing and ballroom dancing. For many years they taught ballroom dance in towns throughout eastern North Dakota. In 1961 Virginia started a ballet school for girls - sharing her love for the dance.
Virginia taught her children through an enthusiastic outlook, her organizational skills, her dramatic talent, her unwavering love, her unending capacity for work and her manifest religious faith. Her children were ingrained with her confident outlook on life. She was fair in doling out work, but expected good results. For any task not completed satisfactorily there were repeat opportunities to get it done right.
As a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Lisbon and later Holy Rosary Church in Detroit Lakes her deep faith shined bright through her prayer, service and volunteerism. She quietly shared her faith, often through little more than acts of kindness. She possessed the great quality of making others feel special and important.
Though she never was a professional actress, her joy for "the performance" never left her. With her energy for having fun she willingly took center stage to tell an intriguing story using speaking skills, costumes and props to bring events to life. She enjoyed the give-and-take of well planned pranks. Good humor and laughter marked her life.
From childhood she loved the water and enjoyed fishing. In retirement she found relaxation in sailing on Floyd Lake. She initiated every grandchild into the ritual of spray-painting their name inside the culvert at the far end of the lake.
One of her biggest disappointments was never being able to attend college, but she never lost her thirst for learning. She challenged herself through hard work, games of bridge, reading, oil painting, dancing, sailing, volunteering and being a good teacher.
Virginia will be deeply and forever missed by her children: Pat from Seattle, Mike (Kela) from West Fargo, Bill (Lynette) from Prosser, WA, Margaret (Tom) Zidon from Grand Forks, Tom (Kathleen) from Camas, WA, Joe (Carmen) from Lisbon-Kindred, Dan from Medicine Lake, MN, Cathy (Arden) Howey from Beaver Dam, WI, Ginny (Neil) Heinitz from East Wenatchee, WA, 23 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, her sister Jean Berg from Huntington Beach, CA, and a multitude of friends.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Joseph Howell (May 4, 1997), her parents, 4 brothers, 5 sisters and many dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to a charity of your choice in memory of Virginia Howell.
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