Funeral services for Virginia Ruth Mesman will be held Friday, June 7 at 2 p.m., at Burley Funeral Chapel. Pastor Harold Veldman will officiate. Burial will follow at Maple Leaf Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday, June 6 at Burley Funeral Chapel from 5 to 8 p.m. A reception for family and friends will be held at the IOOF Hall, Oak Harbor immediately following the burial.

Virginia Ruth Mesman, 93, died at Lavender Gardens Adult Family Home in Oak Harbor on June 2, 2002. She was born Sept. 11, 1908 in Valdez, Alaska to Robert Thurson and Grace Mae (Keller) Heron. The Heron family moved to the Greenlake area of Seattle and in 1915 settled in Oak Harbor. Virginia spent nine months in South Dakota in 1950, but Oak Harbor remained her permanent home.

Virginia worked as a waitress at the Naval CafŽ and the Bungalow CafŽ, both in Oak Harbor and also served as the social director for the Officers Wives Club at NAS Whidbey BOQ. During World War II, she served as a volunteer plane spotter. Virginia worked for the Oak Harbor School District for many years as a cook.

Virginia was married to Arthur Frostad in 1926. Art preceded her in death. She married John Mesman in 1966 and John also preceded her in death.

Virginia was a member of the Oak Leaf Rebekah Lodge No. 254 of Oak Harbor.

She was an avid high stakes bingo player in Oak Harbor and at the Swinomish Casino. She loved to read, crochet and pick wild blackberries for pies and jellies.

Virginia lived in her own home until March 2001, at which time she moved to Harbor Towers. In November of 2001, she moved to Lavender Gardens Adult Family Home in Oak Harbor.

One daughter, Bette Frostad Johnson and husband Robert of Porcupine, S.D., survive Virginia. Eight grandchildren, Clay Johnson (Nicole) of Porcupine, S.D.; Christine Hutchinson (Bill) of White River, S.D.; Kathleen Timberman (Bill) of Rapid City, S.D.; Steven Frostad of Oak Harbor; Brad “Tony” Frostad of Portland, Ore.; Paula Frostad (Erick) of Denver; Linda Frostad Jones (Rob) of Greenbank, and Anna Frostad Elder (Will) of Mount Vernon; 13 great-grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive. One son, Robert Frostad, preceded her in death in 1991.

Memorials may be made to The American Heart Association of Washington.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor. This obituary is on-line at http://burley.plan4ever.com.