Virginia Caroline Murphy

Virginia Caroline Murphy of Gays Mills, WI passed away on August 31, 2025, at Soldiers Grove Health Services at the age of 92. She was born at home in Sauk County, Wisconsin, the third oldest of thirteen children to John and Clara Schmid.

She attended grade school in a one room school at Loreto, Wisconsin and high school in Spring Green. After high school, she stayed at home to be her father’s secretary for his construction business and help her mother with housework. On October 18, 1952, she married Bernard Murphy and they enjoyed nearly 69 years together until his death in 2021.

They purchased a farm near Rolling Ground where they farmed for 43 years before moving to Gays Mills. Virginia also worked packing apples at the orchard and obtained her CNA license, working 20 years at Sannes Skoglalen Nursing Home followed by 15 years there as a volunteer. Virginia belonged to the church PCCW and with her husband managed the care of the cemetery at St. Phillip Catholic Church for 14 years.

She is survived by her daughter, Donna (Dave) Swanson of Platteville; son, Dennis (Carn Messling) of Waukon, Iowa; grandsons, Wesley (Kena) Swanson of Pearl River, New York and Andrew (Kelly) Swanson of Georgetown, Kentucky and granddaughter, Kari (Sam) Zelinka of Madison. She is further survived by seven great-granddaughters: Jordan Wallin-Swanson of Georgetown, Kentucky; Greta and Abigail Swanson of Pearl River, NewYork and Nora, Julie and Beatrix Zelinka of Madison. Her surviving siblings are sisters Mary (Harley) Lampman of Eagle Rock, Missouri, Betty Woldt of Waterloo, Berniece Schmid (Mark Burright) of Mesa, Arizona, Doris Laufenburg of Madison, Joanne (Bob) Neuheisel of Plain and her brother, Dan (Gloria) Schmid of Dodgeville. Her sister and brother-in-law, Elaine Olson and Eugene (Mary) Murphy also survive.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Viola Hinkson; her brothers, Richard, Eugene, Ronald, Verlyn and John and brothers and sisters-in-law, Walter and Martha Murphy, Don and Delores Murphy, Florence and Byron Moran, Therese and Don Johnson, and Leo Olson.

The family wishes to extend their thanks and gratitude to the staff of Soldiers Grove Health Services and St. Croix Hospice Services for their kind and loving care of Virginia over the final weeks of her life. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and sister and will be greatly missed by her family and community.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Phillip Catholic Church, Rolling Ground with a visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. Burial will be in the church cemetery with lunch following in the church basement. Online Condolences may be expressed at www.vossfh.com.