Virginia May Holton

Now, rather than sleeping under the stars helping to tend sheep as a teenager, Virginia Smith Holton is at peace among the stars. Virginia passed early in the morning on March 10, 2023, at age 93 in Helena, Montana in her memory care room with a view of the ponderosas, trails, and wildlife of Nob Hill Park.

Virginia was born in Twin Bridges, Montana on June 8, 1929, the beginning of the Great Depression, to Sidney and Opal (Booth) Smith. Both of her parents were from Illinois. Her dad homesteaded in Montana in the mountains near Dillon after returning from WWI as a war hero. He ultimately purchased a ranch just outside of Twin Bridges, Montana. Her mother was a schoolteacher before she came West. Virginia was the fifth of six siblings. She had three older brothers, one older sister and one younger sister.

Virginia was always driven to make something of herself, and her mother understood the importance of education, especially for girls. During high school, Virginia worked at the Montana State Orphanage, which at the time housed as many as 400 orphaned children and was a self-sustaining community. She was the valedictorian of her Twin Bridges high school class and received a scholarship to go to a Montana college. She parlayed that into a scholarship to Pepperdine College in Los Angeles, CA, where she graduated with Polygrammatic Honors and a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics. For a girl who grew up on a sheep ranch in Montana with no plumbing and wood stoves, this was a whole new world.

On summer break from college at Pepperdine, Virginia came back to Montana and worked at the Pines Restaurant in Bozeman, MT. George Holton, from Chicago, Illinois, was working on his Master of Science degree in fish and wildlife management at Montana State College. He and the creel census crew would come into the restaurant around closing time. George’s and Virginia’s first date resulted from a bet regarding how to pronounce the word “salmon” on the menu. Turned out that Virginia was right even though George was studying to be a fisheries biologist. They were married on Christmas Day 1951 in Twin Bridges, MT.

In April 1952, George and Virginia moved to the eastern U.S. when George accepted a fisheries research project leader position with the Conservation Commission of West Virginia. Virginia worked as an Agricultural Extension Agent in West Virginia’s Hardy County. With a farm background and an education in Home Economics, she was relatable and well-liked by the farming community. Some relationships were maintained over many years even after Virginia had moved away.

After two years in West Virginia, George accepted a job with the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission as Supervisor of Fisheries Field and Research Operations in Cheyenne, Wyoming. While living in Cheyenne, Virginia designed their first house and gave birth to their first daughter, Susan. In early 1957, before the curtains were even hung, George was offered Montana’s Chief Fisheries Management Biologist position in Helena, MT. He initially turned it down, but fate intervened. George and Virginia made the move to Helena just in time for their second daughter, Wendy, to be born.

In fall 1961, Virginia went back to school (Carroll College in Helena) and earned her Montana secondary school certification. Then for 18 years, she worked almost full-time as a substitute teacher and earned a well-deserved reputation for incredible flexibility and dependability. In addition, she was an expert seamstress and for several years taught an adult education night class in tailoring.

In 1987, George and Virginia launched a new chapter in their lives and moved to a new mixed- use building that Virginia designed. They lived in the top two floors and owned and operated Montana Gift Gallery at street level. It was a testament to passion and hard work. They traveled the state, filling the store mostly with items made in and representative of Montana. Virginia also ran a wedding dress business in conjunction with the store.

Their last year in business was 2008, when George was 88 and Virginia was 79. By then George had suffered a stroke, so Virginia once again took to the drawing board and masterminded a house that graciously accommodated handicapped living. Virginia always had a passion for gardening and interior design. At their new house, she planted corn and apple trees in her early 80s. She was always an avid reader and sociologist at heart. She especially enjoyed reading books involving pioneer women of Montana and knew that her unusually anachronous childhood was a vanishing way of life. This motivated her to spend many hours with a yellow pad of paper and pencil detailing her real-life experiences. One of her unfulfilled goals was to author a book that documented those times for future generations.

George and Virginia were an unlikely match coming from completely different backgrounds, but they built quite a life together. They were known to their immediate family as “Duffer and Frankie.” But in the last chapter, George’s physical limitations due to strokes and Virginia’s advancing dementia took a mighty toll. The movie “Amour,” which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2012, was a haunting primer for what lay ahead. In May 2013, George had his third stroke/heart attack. Following an extended rehab, George and Virginia moved to a spacious, bright assisted living apartment. Their worldly partnership lasted 67 years, and Virginia being nine years younger than George lived four-plus years after he passed. Both George and Virginia were forever stoic. The final years were tough and it was especially hard to watch Virginia struggle with the desire to do meaningful work until the very end. But, of course, there were many funny, heartwarming, and happy times too.

Heartfelt appreciation is extended to everyone who helped us navigate these choppy times. Special thanks go to Marie Lavinder, a private care nurse and comrade, who provided the essential continuity of care and compassion, both physically and mentally, that was necessary to keep the wheels on for both George and Virginia. Thanks also to the many attentive front-line caregivers over the years, as well as life enrichers including Howard Haines (via his music, photography and kindness to do spontaneous acts like fill Virginia’s bird feeder), Connie Conley (leading sing-alongs and resident engagement), and Janice Hayes (a skillful hair professional who made appointments, which could be difficult, a warm and caring time). Finally, thanks to Dr. Kirksey of St. Peter’s Health; St. Peter’s Home Health and St. Peter’s Hospice; St. Peter’s Health Wound Care professionals who performed miracles; and Associated Dental Care who expertly and graciously managed both George’s and Virginia’s dental care until the very last month of both of their lives. To manage an extended decline, it takes a village of competent and compassionate professionals plus people who truly just care.

Virginia is survived by her two daughters, Susan Holton (husband Kip Kramer) and Wendy Holton (husband Mike King). She was preceded in death by her husband, and all five of her siblings (Sidney, Oliver, James, Juanita and Naomi).  According to her wishes, there will be no memorial service. Virginia had a green burial at Forestvale Cemetery where she was reunited with her husband George. Both George and Virginia were supporters of organizations geared toward protecting the environment, Public Television and Public Radio, and local charities such as God’s Love and Helena Food Share. No matter whether times are good or not so, bloom wherever you are!

Simple Cremation Montana has assisted the family.

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