Virginia (Rinehart) Hartzell

Virginia Hartzell was born June 27, 1932, in Butler, Pennsylvania to Elizabeth (McCaw) and Lewis Rinehart.  She passed away on December 30th at 4:17 AM in Seattle, Washington.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother William, and sister Marge.  She is survived by two of her siblings, David Rinehart and Louise Freer; along with her husband of 68 years, Dean Hartzell.  Their children: Michael, Douglas, Randall, Ginger, Pamela, Rebecca, and Wendy will remember her along with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Virginia was a model for all women.  From childhood Virginia was an independent grit-your-teeth, can-do and let’s-do-it kind of person.  She grew up in Ohio, and attended Cleveland Heights High School, and Cleveland Bible school.

Virginia’s mother died while she was in her early teens.  She and her siblings struggled to keep things together and tried to stay in school while dealing with an often absent, “repulsive” travelling salesman father.  After graduating from high school, she arrived home to her belongings on the sidewalk, and a sold sign on the front lawn.  She found a job, and a room to rent above someone’s garage.  Then she met Dean.  It is a story of love at first sight and church choirs.

Bootcamp changed their engagement. Suddenly, Virginia only had hours to decide.  Wed today or wait another year for Dean to return from Naval School in Jacksonville, Florida. To avoid any delays required by Ohio laws, Dean and Virginia crossed from Ohio to Indiana to get married.  

Virginia raised seven kids as her husband shifted from active Navy duty in the Korean War, to working and finishing his education, to working long hours.  She clipped coupons, snipped boxtops, stretched food resources with inventive left-over cooking, and taught her kids how to wrap Christmas gifts in newspaper.

All her life she was a faithful Christian who believed in the Lord Jesus. She prayed, she read the Bible, and raised her children to her best ability to follow in the same faith. Her happiest times were singing in the Westminister Chapel Choir.

To her children, she is legend.

She was a devoted Seahawks fan and Huskies fan.  Weekends and holidays were filled with game watching and traditional foods.  Beyond sharing her insights of the Bible and common-sense wisdom, she loved to express her conservative views about politics and politicians.  Our safest topic, beyond football, was comparing competitors on the Voice.

She died in her home from natural causes. She was surrounded by love and family and listening to her favorite hymns, sung by Larnelle Harris.

In lieu of flowers, tax-deductible donations can be made to her favorite charity which supports a village in Malawi, Africa: Good Neighbor Network, www.gsmalawi.org.

To share your fond memories of Virginia and condolences with her Family, please visit her Tribute Wall, located above.

- Care & Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home -

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