Virginia L. Lane

Virginia L. Lane, age 90 of Westby, died Tuesday, June 30, 2009 . Virginia Lane, 90, died June 30 at the Norseland Nursing Home in Westby, where she had been a resident since early 2008.Virginia Lorraine Peterson was born November 15, 1918 to James and Alma (Mau) Peterson, at her grandparents home at rural Truman, Minnesota. She was the first WWI "war baby" of the county, her father being in the Armed Forces. She grew up on a farm in neighboring Watonwan County, and in her mid-teens started working for couples who needed temporary domestic help usually living in and helping when there was a new baby in the family. It was while she was with one of these families that she met Alson, who was working for the same people as a farmhand.Virginia and Al married on February 9, 1941, and continued hiring out to area farmers for a few years until buying their own farm near Trimont, Minnesota, where they worked together and raised their two daughters.At Waverly Lutheran Church of rural Truman, where she had been baptized and confirmed, she remained very active with such things as choir, Ladies Aid, and church council, as well as teaching Sunday school, and serving as church historian.Traveling enthusiasts, they visited most of the lower 48 states over the years, and went on a tour of the Holy Land. Every summer they brought the grandchildren to spend time on their farm, until 1988 when they moved to Westby to be near their daughters and families.Virginia enjoyed sewing, quilting, writing pen-pals, playing scrabble, taking pictures, and clipping newspaper items of all types for her scrapbooks.In addition to her husband Al, Virginia was preceded in death by her parents and her only sibling Vernon Peterson.She is survived by her two daughters: Delene (Ray) Hart of Genoa, and Janet (Dennis) Letterly of Cashton; grandsons: Daniel (Rebecca) Hart, Steven Letterly, Ryan (Jenny) Letterly, and Randy Letterly; granddaughter, Rachel Hart; great-grandchildren: Mercadise Ditler and Kenneth and Alison Letterly; one sister-in-law, Faye Barnes of Kansas, one aunt, and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 3, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Bethesda Lutheran Brethren Church in Westby. Pastor Jim Folz will officiate with burial in the Bethesda Cemetery. Friends may call on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Vosseteig Funeral Home, 708 S. Hwy 14 in Westby. The Vosseteig Funeral Home of Westby is serving the family.