Virginia Lois Kiehlbauch's Obituary
On Thursday, May 4, Virginia Kiehlbauch was joyously welcomed into heaven after a long and blessed life of 105 years, 2 weeks, and four days. Born in Chicago she entered this world on the fateful night of April 15, 1912, the same night the Titanic slipped beneath the icy waters of the north Atlantic.
Virginia was the oldest child of George August Roth and Ida Catherine Bales Roth. Although Virginia's parents were very poor, she was raised in a loving home and protected from the grim realities of the times. Partly because of their poverty, they moved often. Her life was one of constant change and she credited that for making her very adaptable. Perhaps, as she would sometimes say, that was one of her secrets of living to an old age.
In her teen years her family moved to Milwaukee, WI. There in Milwaukee Virginia started attending the Baptist Tabernacle. Through traveling evangelists she finally understood what it meant to be a true Christian by accepting God's free gift of forgiveness. Much of the good that followed was the outcome of God directing her life as one of His children. For example, at the Baptist Tabernacle she made a friend named Gertrude Kiehlbauch, who was down from northern Wisconsin and doing housework in Milwaukee to earn money.
Becoming very good friends, in August, 1935, Virginia visited Gertrude's family in Winter, Wisconsin. Gertrude's oldest brother, Walter took a shine to Virginia and after a short courtship, they were married in late January, 1936. The marriage lasted 50 years until Walter died in 1986. The following Christmas Eve a daughter, Carol, was born.
In 1937 they moved to Sturtevant, Wisconsin, where farming was easier. In the years that followed a son, Richard, was born in 1938, another son, Ken in 1942, and a daughter, Ginny in 1948.
Virginia lived in Racine almost all her life. She was a loved and honored member of the Racine Bible Church. At the invitation of her daughter, Ginny, to come live close to her, she recently moved into assisted living in Loma Linda, CA. There she fell and a head injury sent her to intensive care for six days. Just when she appeared to be recovering, she peacefully died in her sleep.
She is now reunited in heaven with her mother (1933), her dad (1980), her husband, Walter (1986), her brother, George (1989), her daughter, Carol (2007), and her little sister, Ruthie who died suddenly at age 1 of diphtheria over 100 years ago. She is survived by son, Richard (Pearl) of Waxhaw, NC, son, Ken (Gail) of Montrose, CO, daughter, Ginny Cruz (Rick) of Redlands, CA, and son-in-law, Bill Chambers of Montrose, CO.
A celebration of Virginia’s Life will be held at Racine Bible Church, 12505 Spring Street, Sturtevant, WI on May 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Private committal services for the family and all relatives will precede church services at 10:00 a.m. and will take place at West Lawn Memorial Park, Racine, WI. Online condolences may be expressed at www.wilsonfuneralhomerinc.com.
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