March 20, 1936 - January 27, 2023
Funeral Mass for Virginia Orthel will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, at Divine Mercy Parish - St. Cecelia Catholic Church. Burial will be at Bingham Township Cemetery in Woden. Visitation is 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at Oakcrest Funeral Services.
Virginia Rose (Studer) Orthel was born March 20, 1936, in Wesley, to Julius and Caroline (Wingert) Studer. She attended Wesley school until the 8th grade and went on to Good Counsel Academy in Mankato for four years.
On Feb. 17, 1958, in Wesley, Virginia was united in marriage to William Orthel. To this union seven children were born.
Virginia became a farm wife and a homemaker while raising the children on a farm near Titonka. After the children were older, she worked at the Titonka Care Center as a CNA and the Titonka Library as a librarian assistant. After that they moved to Dublin, Texas, for 10 years and she then moved back to Algona for seven years.
In December of 2020, Virginia moved to Spirit Lake to be close to Tom and Dixie as she was needing more help. They moved her to a condo right next to Dixie’s mom, Marian Lampe. Which a beautiful friendship was developed. In 2021 her health declined after a fall and a short stay in the hospital she could no longer stay alone. Christmas Eve day she moved into a nursing home in Spirit Lake. In April, she was moved to Aspire Nursing Home in Lake Park, which became her home. They were wonderful to her. They truly did become family. Everyone there was wonderful to Virginia, but over the months of being there her dementia grew worse. The last two weeks hospice was brought in. There are no words big enough to say “Thank You” to Gentiva Hospice. What a wonderful group of people.
Virginia enjoyed making sugar cookies, baking anything that Bill liked and working in her flower gardens. She was a leader for 4-H and oversaw the horse program at the Kossuth County Fair.
Virginia was a member at St. Cecelia Catholic Church. She led the church choir and would often sing solos for Mass. She was a teacher for CCD classes for 16 years and part of the American Legion Auxiliary.
Virginia died Friday, Jan. 27 at Aspire Care Center in Lake Park at the age of 86.
She is survived by her children, Michael Orthel of Iowa City; Thomas (Dixie) Orthel of Milford; Michelle (Daren) Lincicum of Garner; Paul (Shelia) Orthel of New Boston, Texas; Celeste (Brad) Reason of Sheffield; Marilyn (Brent) Neas of Fruita, Colo.; 12 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Carol Elmore of Algona; Steven (Hope) Studer of Irwin; Gerald (Mary) Studer of Lewisville, Texas; Margaret Studer of Ana Cortes, Wash.; Rose Studer of Kent, Wash.; Kathleen (Bienve) Studer of Seattle, Wash.; sisters-in-law, Mary Studer of Mankato, Minn.; and Rosalee Studer of Algona.
Virginia was preceded in death by her husband Bill, parents, daughter Caroline Orthel, two sisters and five brothers.
Arrangements are being handled by Oakcrest Funeral Services. Condolences may be left at www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com.