Virginia A. Knieff

Virginia A. Knieff, 99, passed away peacefully on the morning of December 10, 2022. She had slowed down considerably over the last 18 months or so. She remained living in her home, but gave up driving. Her bridge club met less frequently, as is wont to happen when one's peer group is well into their 90s. Recently, she became too tired to make it to church on Sundays, which was a significant disappointment for her.

Virginia was a vibrant, jovial gal. She prided herself on maintaining a positive attitude. Virginia was born in Sweetwater, Texas, and grew up in Brownwood. She loved Texas and, although she hadn't lived there since the early 1960s, you'd never know based on her drawl and the frequency with which Texas was a topic of conversation. Mementos of Texas adorned her home.

Virginia was born September 18, 1923, the first child of Bess and Walter Anthony. She was followed just 14 months later by sister, LaNelle. The girls were like twins and their bond lasted a lifetime. Where LaNelle was shy, Virginia was gregarious. Although they grew up during the Great Depression, they had childhoods rich with adventure in Coggin Park, or dressing up in the "Hollywood glamour" of their mother's robes, sipping apple juice "champagne" from teacups. Virginia also had a brother, Mark, and another sister, Betty Faye.

Virginia graduated from Brownwood High School in 1941 and enrolled at Daniel Baker College, mere months before the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II. Virginia recalled the events of that day with clarity. It was early Sunday afternoon when the news broke in Brownwood. Virginia and her family were returning home from church and quickly huddled around the radio. The newly built Camp Bowie, just outside of town, would become home to many thousands of soldiers, as they trained for service overseas. Patriotic duty called to Virginia and LaNelle, too, who ensured that no young soldier was without a dance partner on Friday and Saturday nights, or without a girl to write home to while serving overseas. Many warm evenings were spent dancing and socializing at the enlisted men's club and at Lake Brownwood.

Virginia fell for a local boy, Claude Knieff. The pair wed in October 1944, while Claude was home on leave after serving in the Army Air Force in North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Balkans. After the war, Claude and Virginia made their home in Stephenville, Texas, where he was a high school math teacher and band director. Virginia loved hosting Claude's band students in their home. In 1947, Virginia and Claude welcomed their first child, a son, Terry. Family legend says that Terry didn't walk until he was 5-years-old - because nobody would put him down long enough for him to learn! Claude was called back to the Air Force, and the family moved to Virginia, where they welcomed a second son, Bill, in 1952. Just two weeks after Bill's arrival, Claude was sent to Korea. Virginia and her two boys moved back to Brownwood until Claude returned home in 1953. Claude was then stationed in Houston, where their first daughter, Claudia, was born, in 1954. From Houston, the family move to Leland, Mississippi, and then to Eielson AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was 1959 and Alaska had just become a state. Daughter, Leah, was born shortly after the family's arrival at Eielson. Two years later, the family was on the move again, this time in a 1956 two-door Buick Special - two adults, four kids, and a dog - traveling the Alcan Highway on their way to Aurora, Colorado, where they settled and finished raising their children. Virginia took a position as an executive secretary at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. She and Claude socialized at the officer's club, she played bridge with her friends, and she found her church home at Burns Memorial United Methodist Church. Claude's life wasn't the same after his service in Korea; he passed away in 1978 at just 61 years old.

Virginia spent the next decades watching her family grow as her children married and started families of their own. Virginia loved being Aunee to Tyler and Corinne, and Xandria and Will. She retired, played golf, and travelled - to Algeria, Greece, Italy, England, France, Spain, NYC, Washington, DC, Hawaii, and, of course, to Texas.

Virginia was preceded in death by her loving husband, Major Claude A. Knieff, Jr. (USAF, ret.); parents, Bess and Walter Anthony; brother, Mark; sister, Betty Faye; and many dear friends. She is survived by sister, LaNelle; son, Terry, and his wife, Jude; son, Bill, and his wife, Olivia; daughter, Claudia, and her husband, Cliff; and daughter, Leah, and her husband Scott. She is also survived by grandson Tyler, and his wife, Tae; granddaughter, Corinne, and her husband, Drew; granddaughter, Xandria, and her fiancé, Matt; grandson, Will; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Virginia will be interred alongside Claude at Fort Logan National Cemetery. No services will be held, but the family will host an open house in the near future. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to do so may make memorial contributions to Burns Memorial United Methodist Church, 1095 Newark St. Aurora, CO 80010, www.burnsmethodist.org; the Denver Rescue Mission, 6100 Smith Rd. Denver, CO 80216, www.denverrescuemission.org; or the animal rescue organization of your choice.

Virginia will be remembered for her kindness; she never turned away a person in need. The family wishes to end this obituary in the way Virginia would finish a conversation: if no one else has anything to say, let's say a few words about Texas.