Virgie Jewel (Vanderpool) Johnson of Everett, Washington died on October 30, 2018. She was born in Medford, Oregon on June 15, 1928, the daughter of Charles Emerick Vanderpool and Mabel Estella (Wright) Vanderpool.
Virgie finished high school in 1946 in Medford, Oregon. She spent one year at Willamette University before transferring to Northwest Nazarene College (NNC), Nampa, Idaho where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry in 1950, graduating magna cum laude. While at NNC, and over a cat dissection in comparative anatomy lab, Virgie met the man who would become her husband, Lloyd Allen Johnson of Elgin, Oregon. A month later, the couple accidently became engaged when Virgie mistook a Christmas gift, a watch, as a wedding proposal. The two were married in Medford, Oregon in 1949.
Together, Lloyd and Virgie operated a “cottage” dental clinic in Everett and raised their family of five children. Through the years, Virgie’s first love was her family and the grandchildren that followed. Believing in the importance of a Christian education, Lloyd and Virgie founded a Christian school in the mid-60s. Virgie’s other passions included cooking, reading, Bible study, missions, camping, hiking, and pets underfoot. A life-long lover of music, she spent a great deal of time transporting her children to a variety of music lessons and concerts – her children’s number one, quietly reserved, fan. Many knew the hospitality of her table, particularly for Sunday dinner. Always active in church membership, in the past several years, Virgie was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church of Everett.
Virgie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lloyd, her brother Charles Emerick Vanderpool, Jr, her sisters-in-law Jane Johnson and Leotta Johnson, and brother-in-law James Anderson.
Virgie is survived by her five children, Karen Erickson (William), Allen (Jennifer), Ronald, Kevin, and Janet Graham. She leaves behind 13 grandchildren – Ryan, Tristan, Andrew, Shannon, Jacqueline, Christopher, Luke, Brendan, Constance, Jewel, Collin, Joy, and Joseph, and four great grandchild, Bradley, Riley, Theodore, and Naomi. Virgie is also survived by four siblings-in-law, Orland, Louel Anderson, Richard (Alberta) and Gary (Martha).
A celebration of Virgie’s life will take place at First Christian Reformed Church of Everett at 1429 McDougall Avenue, Everett, WA 98201 on Thursday, November 15 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to Commission to Every Nation (P.O. Box 291307, Kerrville, TX 78029-1307) in memory of Virgie Johnson in support of Kevin and Tracy Bolin’s Bible Memorization Project which provides Bibles to Christians in small isolated churches in Haiti.
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