Virginia (Ginny) was born on December 25, 1953. She lost her battle with Myeloid Leukemia on November 29, 2017. She was the second child born to Verlon and Helen (Collier) Caraway, and soon to be the middle child. Soon after she started school, the family moved from just outside Lytle to in town on D’Hanis Street. She grew up here, and graduated from Lytle High School as Valedictorian of her class.
She was active in FHA and 4-H. She was also active at Old Rock Baptist Church, as the pianist for many years, as a Sunday School teacher, and she established the Church Library.
While still in high school, Virginia knew what her career choice was. She loved books and volunteered after school and on weekends, working with Mrs. Margie Grothues and the Lytle Women’s Club to start the first Lytle Public Library. In those early years they operated out of an old house on Cottage Street. She continued as a volunteer and later for a time as Head Librarian as she went to college and as the Library moved into its present building.
Virginia attended San Antonio Jr. College, where she also tutored in math, and then transferred to Our Lady of the Lake where she graduated with a double major BA. She went on to get her Masters in Library Science from North Texas State University. While taking her college courses she continued to work in Libraries to help pay her way, and still managed to maintain a high GPA.
After North Texas, she worked at the Plainview Public Library for about 9 months, until she was convinced that she was not a cold weather person. She moved to Rosenberg and worked in the Fort Bend County Library for five years.
In 1985 she became the School Librarian at Pearsall High School, getting her Texas Teachers Certificate from Our Lady of the Lake at nights and during summers. She remained in Pearsall until she took early disability retirement in 1997. She really enjoyed working with young people in all of these places and has kept up with some of them as they went on into their own careers.
Virginia has had many physical problems since an early age and has spent her life battling against them. Many times her doctors gave up on her, telling the family that she would not survive, or that she would be confined to a wheelchair. She has always fought her way back to amaze them, and kept that fighting spirit to the end. She has been an inspiration in defying the odds and continuing on through pain and suffering.
In her retirement she has used her artistic talents in card making and similar crafts. Her family and friends have many lovely mementos, most of them original ideas, that she created for them.
She is preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, several uncles and aunts, and cousins.
She is survived by her brother, Robert Caraway and his wife, Lola, and by her sister, Alice Caraway Mangum.
Many thanks to Hospice Brazos Valley, as they made her last few days comfortable. This is the third time our family has been served by this wonderful organization and they truly are amazing.
There will be a small Memorial Service at Old Rock Baptist Church on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 10:00. In lieu of flowers, Virginia asked that donations be made to: South Texas Children’s Home, PO Box 121, Beeville, TX 78104: Stickler’s Syndrome Foundation, 15 Angelina, Augustus, KS 67010: Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 W 26th St, Bryan, TX 77802: or a charity of your choice.