Virginia Hawkins

Virginia Hawkins, 85, of Idaho Falls passed away on September 3, 2007 at the Eastern Idaho Regional medical center after a short illness.   

Virginia, the youngest of 8 children, was born on August 13, 1922 in Shelley, Idaho to Amos and Hazel Harker. Virginia grew up in Shelley where she graduated with honors from Shelley High School in 1940.    After high school she was working in the office of Doctor Schiess when she met her eternal partner Weldon Hawkins.  Virginia and Weldon fell in love and were married in the Logan LDS Temple on July 15, 1942.   They moved to Preston, Idaho where Weldon worked in the local drug store as a pharmacist and Virginia worked in the office of Dr. Cutler.  Their first son Robert was born in Preston in 1943 before they moved on to Salt Lake City where Weldon managed a pharmacy before being accepted to medical school in Cleveland, Ohio.  They spent the next 5 years in Cleveland where their second son David was born in 1948.   

In 1949 Virginia and her growing family returned to Idaho where she and Weldon purchased and operated Gate City Pharmacy and other businesses until 1970.  Virginia worked very hard with Weldon, doing the bookkeeping, payroll and running the prescription department.  During these years Virginia raised her sons while working full time in the businesses, spending any spare time she might have left in her rose garden, or working on her many knitting and crocheting projects that produced beautiful blankets and clothing enjoyed by all of her family. She knitted beautiful sweaters for her family, afghans for the home, and baby blankets for all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She took a lot of pride in her handiwork and always kept her home beautiful and clean. “Aunt Ginny” was always close to her nieces and nephews.  Her family kept close by frequent (very large) family reunions.   

Virginia also found the time to function as Stake Sunday School Secretary for 10 years.  She was a loving and caring person who was able to keep her “boys” on the straight and narrow despite their temptations to go hunting and fishing on Sunday when they should have been in church with her.   After 1970, Virginia and Weldon lived in Cedar City, Utah and Burley, Idaho where they made many new friends and acquaintances in the medical profession and in the church. During these years Virginia was a very capable pharmacy tech for numerous pharmacists. 

After retirement Virginia and Weldon traveled to St. George during the winter months of 1984 through 1994 to enjoy friendships and work in the temple.  They moved to Idaho Falls from Burley in 1994 to be closer to her family.  

Virginia is survived by her husband, sister Erma Cox of Idaho Falls, her sons and their wives Robert (Marilyn) and David (Coleen) Hawkins, 8 grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sisters Anna Crooks, and Gladys Bair, and brothers, Hallace, Norman, and Raymond Harker and one grandson.   

Funeral services will be held on Saturday the 8th of September at 11 am at the Nalder funeral home 110 West Oak, Shelley, ID 83274.  The family will receive friends Friday evening between 7 and 8:30 pm and Saturday morning at 10 am.  Interment will be in the Restlawn Cemetery.