Virginia Marie Schneider, age 88 of Ludington passed away on Sunday February 2, 2014 at Oakview Medical Care Facility in Ludington.
She was born on July 14, 1925 in Ludington, daughter of the late Anthony and Rose (Jados) Grabowski. She and her brother, Marvin, grew up in the Fourth Ward of Ludington. Sundays after church were spent on her grandparent’s farm in Freesoil. Virgie is a polio survivor, having had it since being a young child. Though this interrupted her education, and only completed through 8th grade, she went on to establish her own successful business. Virginia lived in the Mason County area most of her life and met a soldier after the war.
She married Wayne Schneider on August 31, 1946 and they started their family shortly after. Sandy arrived first, then Debbie. Together, Wayne and Virgie built a home on U.S. 10-31 where they lived for many years. During that time, Virginia owned and operated Virginia’s Bridal Salon along with her mother. She was very actively involved with her church, St. Jerome’s of Scottville, where she served as President of the St. Helena’s Altar Society helping prepare funeral luncheons.
Her talents were also put to use growing and arranging flowers for the altar at church. One of Virgie’s greatest joys was the 4 grandchildren later added to the family. Sadly, her husband Wayne passed away in 1992, but this didn’t slow Virgie down.
She remained quite active with her church activities, luncheons with her sisters-in-law and traveling. Ludington became her home for several years, during which she battled and survived breast cancer. She then moved to Custer to reside with her daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Bill Wahr, and remained there until her dementia made it unsafe for her to remain in their home.
She was lovingly cared for by the staff at Oakview Medical Care Facility for three years. Virgie’s family is very appreciative of the excellent care she received for the three years she was there. Virginia was a strong woman and shared that strength and love of family with her children and extended family.
Virgie will be sadly missed by her daughters, Sandra (Michael) Thomas of Bear Lake and Deb (Bill) Wahr of Custer; grandchildren, Tonya (Todd) Hess, Robert (Kelly) Henry, Wayne (Jennifer) Wahr and Michelle (Joe) Pirochta; great-grandchildren, Zackary, Tyler and Seth Henry, Zoe, Jacob and Grace Wahr, Allyssa, Breanna and Cylie Pirochta; sister-in-laws, Rita Schneider, Ruby Schneider, June Carney, Frieda Felan and Marilyn Johnson; and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Wayne; and brother, Marvin Grabowski.
Funeral Mass from the Order of Christian Funerals will be celebrated at 11:00AM on Wednesday February 5, 2014 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Custer with Father Anton Tran Celebrant. Burial will be in Mount Carmel Cemetery in Manistee.
The family will receive friends for visitation on Tuesday from 6-8PM at Oak Grove Funeral Home in Ludington and again from 10:00AM until time of Mass at the church on Wednesday. Evening Prayers will be prayed Tuesday at the funeral home at 7:00 P.M.
Memorial contributions in memory of Virginia may be directed to St. Mary’s food pantry or Sutter Living Center –Alzheimer’s Unit at Oakview Medical Care Facility. Please feel free to share a memory or photo with Virginia’s family at www.oakgrovefh.com. The family has entrusted the Oak Grove Funeral Home & Cremation Center of Ludington with funeral arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Virginia Marie "Virgie" Schneider (Grabowski), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.