Virginia Maxine Farrington, a caring mother, grandmother, wife, sister, and joy to all who had the pleasure of knowing her, was called home on Sunday, March 21, 2021, at the age of 94.
Her story began on April 13, 1926, when she was born to Ernest J. and Bessie (Passons) Gilstrap in Rockwall, Texas. Though she lived in other states throughout her life, she was a Texas bluebonnet through and through.
Virginia met her husband-to-be, Robert W. (Bob) Farrington, while attending the First Baptist Church in Ardmore, Oklahoma. She later became a civilian employee at Ardmore Air Force Base, serving as a clerk typist. Bob helped establish the Sunshine Mission, where he led the music and Virginia played piano. The two were married in April of 1946. In 1947, the Sunshine Mission became the Northeast Baptist Church, now known as Trinity Baptist Church in Ardmore. Both will be remembered for their contributions to Ardmore’s church history. She and Bob moved to his home state of Ohio a few years later, where they raised their family. They were married for 62 years until Bob passed away in 2008.
During their time in Northeast Ohio, Bob and Virginia found their church family at Northfield Baptist
Church. While Bob led the music, Virginia spent many years working with the five-year-olds during
Sunday School. She also worked on Fridays as the church secretary, as Pastor Lynn Rogers used to call her “his girl Friday.”
Virginia enjoyed gardening and always had the prettiest flowers and most delicious tomatoes. In her spare time, she was often found watching westerns and old movies on television, solving crosswords, or finishing puzzles. Sewing and crafts also occupied much of her time. She was known by her family as someone who loved to cook, bake, and feed others. Many of her recipes have been passed down to her children and grandchildren.
She will be remembered well by those who loved her, including her surviving brother, Jodie Gilstrap and sister-in-law Betty Gilstrap; her daughter, Marilyn (Nelson) Roder; her son, Richard (Sandy) Farrington; her grandchildren, Jennifer Farrington, Brad Farrington, Kelly Roder, and Hayley Foster; her great-grandchildren, DeAndré Washington, Justice Gantt, and Rian Matso, as well as special nieces and nephews and other family members and friends.
Virginia has been joyfully reunited with her parents, Ernest and Bessie; her siblings Ernestine (Gilstrap) Fisher, Mina (Gilstrap) Zentz, and James Gilstrap; and her sweetheart, Bob.
Graveside services will be held Tuesday, March 30th at 10:30 am at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg. The service will be led by Pastor Brian Flood.
In honoring our Yellow Rose of Texas: “Her heart’s as big as Texas and wherever we may go, we’ll remember her forever because we love her so.” Arrangements by Johnson-Romito Funeral Home Northfield, Ohio
