Virginia Clark

Virginia E. Clark, 95, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and former long time resident of Lewis and Atlantic, Iowa, passed away October 1, 2009, in Lincoln.

Virginia Elizabeth Clark was born a few miles east of Lewis, Iowa, on December 11, 1913, the daughter of John Franklin and Ethel (Stevenson) Berry. The next spring the family moved to Lewis. Virginia grew up in Lewis and graduated from Lewis High School in 1931. She taught at rural school in Pottawattamie County for one year before enrolling at Iowa State College, where she received a BS Degree in 1937 and a MS Degree in 1939. She later completed studies in hospital accounting at Indiana University.

On September 3, 1938, she married Riley P. Clark, Jr. in Cameron, Missouri. After her marriage she completed her education at Iowa State. Virginia worked seven years as an extension specialist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She and her husband returned to Lewis in 1946, where she taught high school and junior high for twelve years, then worked as Cass County Home Economist for a year. The family moved to Atlantic in 1965. Virginia was employed at Cass County Memorial Hospital for 21 years in fiscal services and administrative departments, retiring in 1984.

Her hobbies included sewing and using her computers to preserve stories and photos of her family from earlier generations. She was a member of the Atlantic United Church of Christ, and over the years served as a Sunday and Bible School Teacher, Deacon, Elder, Choir Member, Treasurer and as Newsletter Editor for ten and one-half years. She was a member of Phi Upsilon Omicron, and a 50-year member of both the Eastern Star and BPO Does.

Virginia is survived by her son, Marvin Clark and his wife, Barbara of El Paso, Illinois; her daughter, Marcia Murray and her husband, Dan of Lincoln, Nebraska; her granddaughters, Christa Mittan and her husband, Gregory and their son, Drew of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Rachel Clark and her husband, James Sindler of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; her grandson, Ross Blackledge and his wife, Amanda of Denton, Nebraska, and their daughters, April, Danielle and Mary of Crete, Nebraska; her sister-in-law, Elaine Berry of Green Valley, Arizona; her step-grandsons, Todd Blackledge and his wife, Paula and their daughter, Piper and son, Cooper of Omaha, Nebraska, and Rick Blackledge and his wife, Jeri and their sons, Ethan and Justin of Omaha, Nebraska; and step-granddaughters, Dana Jackson and her husband, Clay and their son, Gavin and Stacy Stauffer and her husband, Jeff and their daughter, Alyssa all of Lincoln, Nebraska.
She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, an infant son, Ross; and her brother, Keith Berry.

Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 10, 2009, at the United Church of Christ in Atlantic. Following the memorial service the family invites you to join them for lunch in the church fellowship hall.

Burial in the Oakwood Cemetery in Lewis, Iowa, will be prior to services at the church.

Visitation with the family will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Friday, October 9, 2009, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa.

Memorial services will held at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, October 15, 2009, at Gramercy Hill, 6800 A Street, in Lincoln.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Ross Clark Scholarship Fund and the United Church of Christ.


Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.