Virginia Prussman

Virginia Rose (Braun) Prussman passed away April 9, 2021 at Regent Park Nursing Home in Holyoke at the age of 97.

Virigina was born on April 15, 1923 to Robert Simon Braun and Rose Hannah (Hess) Braun in Minneapolis, Minn., the eldest of four daughters. She grew up in Robbinsdale, Minn., moving to Minneapolis when she was 13 years old. She graduated from Marshall High School in Minneapolis in 1941.

Virginia had secretarial training in high school, but no experience, so she traded her office skills for a radio course at the Beck School of Radio, just to obtain some experience. She passed the civil service exam and soon found herself working as a secretary to a captain at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. at the age of 18. She found one of her life long best friends and soon to be roommate, Claire Conway, on the train trip to D. C. and they lived in an apartment together until she married W. Neal Prussman from Amherst.

Neal graduated from Holyoke High School in 1937, went onto Grand Island Business College in Grand Island, Neb. for two years, passed the civil service exam and was working at the decoding room at the State Dept. in Washington D.C., and lived in the same apartment building as Virginia. There were married on June 12, 1943 in Minneapolis.

Neal was drafted into the Army and served in WW II. When he was honorable discharged, Neal and Virginia moved north of Paoli to farm. Their son, Bob, was born in 1946, Shawn in 1951 and Lori in 1958. Ginny did not love the rural setting, coming from Minneapolis, working in Washington DC, but she did love her close friends and their families. They soon became her new family and she often said she did not know what she would have done without them. She was so thankful for the Paoli community.

Ginny was always busy, first with her children and then their activities. When Lori was in junior high, she decided to take a job at the welfare office in Holyoke as a secretary. She loved that job so much. She was able to get out and see people every day and she loved all her coworkers and the people she helped. It was a good time for her. She then decided to become the Avon lady, a true calling to her second nature. She loved getting out and seeing people and selling all the fun things Avon had to offer. She sold Avon for many years, it was like Christmas when her orders came in, she always made it so much fun!

Neal and Virginia traveled extensively in their later years. Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska, New Zealand and most of the continental United States, either with family, or their close friends, or people from their square-dancing group. Oh, how they loved to square dance, which they did, until their health would not permit them to dance anymore.

She is survived by her children Robert and wife Janell Prussman, Ft. Collins, and Shawn and husband Tom Edwards, Haxtun; son-in-law Warren Ward, Ft. Collins; sisters Doris Finn, Wayzata, Minn., and Barbara Huber, Minnetonka, Minn.; brother and sister-in-law Lyle and Jean Prussman, Evans; grandchildren Kristin and husband Rick Stouffer, Jason Prussman and great-grandson Jacobb Prussman, Denver, Ross and wife Haley Edwards and great-grandchildren Leah and Amber Edwards, Haxtun, Grant and wife Audree Edwards and great-grandchildren Knox, Otis and Wade Edwards, Haxtun; great-grandchildren Jordan and wife Caitlin Stouffer and great-great grandchildren Breck and Madden, Ft. Collins, Peyton and husband David Goggin and great-great grandson Dawson, Thornton; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cherished friends.

Virginia is preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughter Lori Ward; brother-in-law Gerry Finn; sister and brother-in-law Jackie and Frank Holy; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Robert Huber; Dale and Shirley Prussman; Lloyd and Lena McGivney, Lola Prussman and Dela Prussman.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 15 at 10 a.m. at the Baucke Funeral Chapel in Holyoke. Jeri Soens will officiate the service.