-photo by Jens Notestein for The Quill
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner
-photo by Jens Notestein for The Quill
A great celebration occurred Tuesday, May 30, 2023 to honor a much loved servant to her community of Stronghurst and county of Henderson - Virginia Ross.
Virginia will be moving this coming month to North Platte, a community of 26,000 in central Nebraska where her daughter (Becca Moss) lives with her husband and two sons.
Virginia will most certainly become involved in her new community as she did here working to make a positive difference for as many organizations and people’s lives as she can. It’s been her way since her husband Bill Ross brought his new bride to Stronghurst on February 8, 1964.
Virginia, grew up on a farm in Sedalia, Missouri, and was raised in the Methodist church attending school locally. She attended the University of Missouri at Columbia for four years, graduating with a BS in Education with a double major of History and English.
After her marriage, she taught English at Union High School, Biggsville, for two years, and then returned to farm living and the raising of two children - Lyman born in 1969 and Rebecca born in 1973.
Virginia has her own business - Ross Research - and has done a multitude of research for people. She weekly supplies a third of a page or more of stories from old newspapers out of The Stronghurst Graphic she puts in the Quill in a column called The Graphic.
Virginia also has kept busy holding almost every office in the Stronghurst United Presbyterian church including trustee on the board, a deacon, treasurer of the willing workers, chair of the Mary Martha Circle.
She has been chair of the Henderson County Arts Council and publicity chair for the Henderson County Arts Players .
She’s been an active supporter of agriculture belonging to the national, and Tri-County cattlemen, and the Illinois women for agriculture. She was also very busy with the DAR organization, a member of the Illinois State Genealogy Society, and the Warren County Genealogy Society.
She chaired the Stronghurst historic publications committee leading the way for the publication of her town’s Centennial history book.
She has served as area advisor for Carl Sandburg College, was a member of the Henderson Warren, and Mercer county school re-organization committee, a member of the lieutenant governor’s task force on rural Illinois and she’s been involved in a lot of the local clubs. She’s led the Stronghurst Senior Citizens, helped at the Henderson County Nursing home and Oak Wood Estates, and takes part in community events.
She has been attending town board meetings to represent the community and seniors and to report back to the senior citizens in the community. She constantly has been a supporter of "The Quill" writing reports and thoughts throughout her near 50 years here.
The community voices appreciation for her support and loss in her absence, but wishes her the best of times with her Nebraska family and life in her new community which she describes as “Cowboy Land”.
Virginia will continue to provide her Graphic column and more stories on adventures in North Platte, NE.
"Thank you Virginia for being the best friend a community could have and know you always have a host of friends here in Henderson County."