Aunt Virginia, Mom’s older sister, never married or had children. She spent most of her working life and career in Montana, both in Great Falls and Bozeman. She enlisted in the U.S. Army and worked as an R.N. in a MASH Unit during the Korean War. Eventually, she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserves before her retirement. She taught nursing at Montana State University. I believe she started at the Great Falls campus and then transferred to the Bozeman campus. She retired from MSU and moved to the Felton family home in Warm Beach, Washington.
Sisters: Mom and Aunt Virginia in the kitchen at the Warm Beach home on Christmas 1971. Grannie Felton had passed away in 1970, so the family decided to observe the tradition of meeting at the Felton home on Christmas. This was to be the last Christmas Mom was with us, since she passed away in early December 1972. A few years later, Aunt Virginia moved from Montana to the Felton home.
Red was Aunt Virginia’s favorite color. She often had red cars with black accent interiors. She sometimes wore a red dress, accompanied by a matching red purse and shoes. We would not be shocked if she added a red coat to the ensemble. There were other distinctive things we all recall: she liked her coffee strong and black, and her gin martini dry. She taught me how to make a martini when I was old enough to be trusted not to spill the gin and vermouth. She was an unapologetic smoker despite the medical evidence that it caused cancer. She loved children and cats. Her last cat was named “BF” because it had six toes on each foot. She was a bibliophile, and there was never a time she did not have a bookmark in at least one new book around her home.
Undated photo of Virginia Felton, possibly posing before a hotel window on one of her many travels. She is sitting on a cast-iron radiator, which suggests the photo was taken in the 1940s or 1950s. This is how I remember Aunt Virginia as a boy, when I traveled with her in Montana and Alberta.
On A Personal Note:
I had a close relationship with Aunt Virginia, which was fostered by becoming an integral part of her nephews’ and nieces’ lives. In this photo, Aunt Virginia is holding me (I’m 5 or 6 years old) as I stand on a dining room chair. I do not recall the family group behind us, then Grannie under the chandelier, Mom, Todd, Dad, and Grandpa Felton
In the summer of 1956, my parents put me on a plane in Yakima, and I flew to Great Falls to spend a few memorable weeks with Aunt Virginia, which was to become a great adventure for a nine-year-old. We drove all over Montana, staying in motels along the highways in Big Sky Country. I learned that the word “No” on a neon sign before the word “Vacancy” meant we continued driving until we found a motel that had a vacancy. The highlight of our travels was Yellowstone National Park, where I saw Old Faithful, buffalo herds, bears, and the awe-inspiring beauty of nature. We then drove north to Calgary, Alberta, to attend the Calgary Stampede rodeo, known as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”. The trip was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with my Aunt Virginia. My brother was also escorted on a similar trip with Aunt Virginia, as were our cousins, Jill, Jan, and Joanne.
Her Military Career:
This undated photo of Virginia, in her RN uniform during her U.S. Army days, shows her talking with an unidentified officer on the left and military tents in the background. We don’t know if this was during her service in a MASH unit in Korea or after the war, while she was in the Army Reserves.
This photo of Aunt Virginia in her Army officer’s uniform is undated. Virginia began her nursing career at the age of 21 and earned her Master’s degree in nursing from the University of Washington. She served in a MASH unit during the Korean War as an officer and registered nurse. She was the first woman commander of the Stanwood V.F.W. Post from 1983 to 1984.
