Virginia Rose (Massie) Killmer,

 

Virginia Rose (Massie) Killmer, age 95, of Grand Marais, Falcon Heights, Apple Valley, and Hopkins, passed away August 13, 2016.

Virginia was born in the family home in Lutsen on October 20, 1920 to Homer Arthur and Rosa Clariette (Monker) Massie. She attended grade school in Lutsen, graduated in 1938 from Grand Marais (now Cook County) High School, and studied for three years at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Home Economics.

There she met Marion Earl Killmer in 1939. Marion and Virginia were married on June 20, 1942 in the United Protestant (Congregational) Church in Grand Marais.

Virginia was an active 4-H Club member from 1929 to 1940. She won many county and state honors in sewing, bread making, and Junior Leadership, as well as a trip to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago in 1937. She was a 4-H Club Leader for 15 years, and won the Golden Clover award for leadership.

Besides 4-H, she has belonged to the Girl Scouts, Cook County Historical Society, Library Friends of Grand Marais, Minnesota Rural Artists Association, and the Order of Eastern Star, where Virginia was Past Matron of the Northern Light Chapter.

For many years Virginia was office manager and shipping clerk for Killmer’s Northern Nurseries in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, a family business begun in 1917 by her in-laws Earl Coy and Sarah Josephine (Arny) Killmer, both horticulturalists. In 1966, Virginia and her husband became owners of the nursery, which they operated in Apple Valley for six years. This was a wholesale and retail bulb operation covering sales in the Upper Midwest. They sold the physical facilities for the retail business in 1972, but continued activity in wholesale marketing of nursery stock. They set up an office, warehouse, and freight-handling facility for a major Dutch flower bulb company, Witteman & Company (Hillegom, Holland), and were associated with the Multiflora Bulb & Import Company through 1976.

Virginia and Marion moved to Grand Marais in 1973-74, building their home on Lake Superior west of town. For 10 years they hosted over 400 guests in their Bed and Breakfast, Killmers on the Water.

They later moved to The Homestead community, where they lived until Marion passed away on December 26, 2009.

Virginia’s hobbies included correspondence, sewing, knitting, crewel embroidery, and quilting. She moved in 2010 to Hopkins, close to son Richard, to live her final years in The Glenn (formerly St. Therese Southwest), a retirement community, where she remained active exercising daily, reading widely, and studying Bible.

Virginia was a choir member in all the churches to which she belonged, as well as the University of Minnesota Chorus. She taught Sunday School for 25 years. Her church memberships included the United Protestant Church in Grand Marais (1920-1941), St. Anthony Park Methodist Church (1942- 1966), Rosemount Methodist Church (1966-1971), and Falcon Heights United Church of Christ (1972-1974). She was a member of the Women’s Fellowship of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Grand Marais (1975-2007), where she served as president, secretary, and devotional chairperson.

Virginia’s family was integral to the early history of Cook County. Her grandmother Kristine Monker left a noble family behind in Sweden to become a pioneer on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Grandfather Claus Monker, an immigrant from Norway, helped set up the first school district on Maple Hill. He served as county clerk of court, superintendent of schools, and on the school board for 20 years.

In later years he became county attorney for Lake County and successfully argued cases before the Minnesota Supreme Court. Grandparents Abraham and Phoebe Massie emigrated from Quebec, Canada via Ashland, Wisconsin, at first working in a Cascade River logging camp. Mother Rosa studied nursing in Duluth, and was active in Eastern Star. Father Homer Massie (Masonic Temple, 32° Rite) served as mayor of Grand Marais and on the school board, as did brother Howard Massie for many years. Homer built the Cobblestone service station on Highway 61, and served on a state advisory board about fossil fuels. Homer and Howard both operated Ford dealerships in Grand Marais.

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband Marion, mother Rosa, father Homer, brother Howard and Linnea Massie, brother Philip and Auneda Massie, nephews Thomas and Jerry Massie, grandson Andrew Killmer, and daughter-in-law Penny Killmer.

Virginia is survived by her sons Ronald, Bruce, and Richard (Nancy) Killmer, daughter Debra (Kenji) Tachibana, grandchildren Jennifer Leaf, Kellene Killmer, Candace (Andy) Globa, Corrien Erin, Sunny (Paul) Stauff, Jamison Killmer, Katrina (Kyle) Tholen, Sarah Tachibana (Shane Loveless), Eric Tachibana (Li Hsien Lim), great-grandchildren Jennifer, Lauryn, and Mark Tachibana, Annora Leaf, Norah and Graeme Tholen, Mason and Penny Stauff, Colton Cordova, Cecilia and Gabriella Globa, and nieces and nephews Steven Massie, Lucrecia Massie Latham, Phyllis Massie Plugge, Joey (Al) Kettelkamp, Wells Stewart III (Mary) Marshall, Mary (Jim) Scheider, and David Marshall (Dominic Wolocko).

At Virginia’s request, no public service will be held. Memorials are preferred to the donor’s favorite charity. Arrangements made by the Cremation Society of Minnesota.