Obituary: Mcelwee, Virginia
McELWEE,
Virginia
(Graves)
1921 - 2012
In Centreville, Mississippi, on an April day in 1921, Dolly Virginia Graves was born to Edward William Graves and Olive Thorne Miller Van Norman Graves.
She joined a brother, E.W.
Jr. and half brother Albert Berry Van Norman.
Virginia’s childhood was spent in the South where she was educated in the public schools of Centreville, then in Louisiana at Baton Rouge Business College and at LSU.
She later obtained her B.A.
in Education at William Patterson College in Wayne, New Jersey.
On November 24, 1942, Virginia was married at Camp Beale, California, to her childhood schoolmate, sweetheart, and best friend, Second Lieutenant Frank Dixon McElwee.
She was an Army wife for the next 25 years of her life.
During this time she and Frank had three children - a daughter, Carolyn Thorne, a son Frank Dixon, Jr. and another son, Charles Edward.
As an Army family, there were many moves required, and Virginia’s admonition was “Bloom where you are planted.”
The family lived in Mississippi, Japan, Florida, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas, Puerto Rico, New York, Pennsylvania, France, Germany, New Jersey and Washington State.
At the end of his career in the Army, Frank retired and Virginia had become The Colonel’s Lady!
Virginia’s employment history included work as a sales clerk, church secretary, stenographer for the Dept.
of Agriculture at LSU, bank clerk, stenographer for the U.S. War Crimes Tribunal in Japan, and secretary at Whitman College in Walla Walla.
Virginia was an accomplished homemaker and a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.
Being a child of The Great Depression, she liked simple things.
She loved gardening, and for many years she was a seamstress and tailor for her family.
Frank and Virginia were faithful members of First Presbyterian Church in Kennewick, Washington, where she served as Elder, Deacon, Stephens Minister, and Sunday School teacher.
In 1991-93 she served on the Preparation for Ministry Committee of the Presbytery of Central Washington.
For their 50th Wedding Anniversary, Frank made Virginia a Paul Harris Fellow at the Richland Rotary Club.
Virginia and Frank lived in Meadow Springs for over thirty years, putting down roots and enjoying an active retirement.
After Frank’s passing in 2008, she resided at the Riverton Retirement Community in Richland, Washington.
Following a brief illness, Virginia died peacefully in her sleep on July 5, 2012, at Hospice House of Spokane, with the assurance that she would join Frank and her son Charles Edward (Chuck) who predeceased her.
Virginia is survived by her daughter, Carolyn Holmes (Dr. Edwin R. III) of Spokane; a son, Frank Dixon, Jr. (Linda Camp) of Boca Raton, Florida; six grandchildren: Dr. Edwin R. Holmes IV (Debra Crane) of Portland, Oregon, Dr. William Nathanael Holmes (Laura Park) of Corona del Mar, California, Dr. Seth McElwee Holmes of Berkeley, California, Devon Virginia McElwee Corrigan (Sean) of Los Angeles, California, David Dixon McElwee of Memphis, Tennessee, and Caleigh Forsythe McElwee of Winston Salem, N.C. Great-grandchildren are: Aidan Park Holmes and Kellan Blaine Holmes of Corona del Mar, and George Boyer Corrigan of Los Angeles.
Surviving also are numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express deep gratitude to the loving staff at Hospice House of Spokane, as well as to all those in the Tri-Cities, Spokane, and beyond who have expressed condolences through so many acts of kindness.
Inurnment will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Richland, Washington, on Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 11:00 am with reception following at the Event Center on grounds.
EINAN’S FUNERAL HOME, RICHLAND, WA.