Virginia Mae Whitmer- A Beautiful Life, Beautifully Lived (1936-2025)

Her family honors the beautiful life of Virginia Mae Whitmer, loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, and friend, who peacefully passed away in her home on May 3, warmly surrounded by her husband and four children. She was 88 years old.

Raised in Elgin, IL, daughter of Arthur and Evelyn Lindoerfer, sister to Judy (Homfeldt) and Carol (Ryan), she grew up in a home of loving parents, glorious music, plentiful gardens, home-cooked meals, and a roast every Sunday. She was a bright student, a caring sister, and a good friend.

She met the love of her life, Bob, while out with friends in Dundee. Charmed by her affectionate nature, Bob tracked her down the very next day at the Woolworth sales counter in Elgin where she worked. They married in 1957 - that encounter launched a beautiful relationship lasting 68 wonderful years.

Together, they built a family in South Elgin, IL, raising four children, Juli (Brian Wallace), Lisa (Andy Bouque), Laurie (Kevin Schweitzer), and Chuck (Anna Whitmer) on Lindenmann Court with a backyard of oak trees, a tire swing, bright flower beds, a bursting vegetable garden, and a creek running through it all.

Ginny had many creative talents and was a marvelous homemaker. She was an avid sewer, gardener, reader, and cook, whose children and grandchildren still beam when thinking about the outfits she lovingly made for them. Her daughters recall picking out patterns in the 70s at JoAnne Fabrics as a joy that couldn't be matched: blazers, culottes, gauchos, prom dresses, and wedding dresses- she had the skills. Her round oak table in the kitchen served as a centerpiece of love, filled with home-made, garden-fresh meals every night, homework help, school projects, cooling cookies, warm canning jars, and bedtime treats- a table that created treasured family memories.

Once her children were grown, she re-entered the workforce as a talented office manager for Bergen Construction in Palatine, while Bob, newly retired, stayed home sharpening his homemaking skills. Ginny loved to point out their reversed roles.

An active adventurer and camper-well into her 70s- Ginny enjoyed her early summer years on Lake Namakagon in northern Wisconsin, but most were spent in the Boundary Waters wilderness, canoeing through the placid lakes of northern Minnesota, and her springs spent under the lush palms in her camper at St. Andrews State Park on the Gulf of Mexico. She spoke fondly of her European travels, especially through the countryside of Bavaria with her adopted German family, the Wagners. She also loved playing tennis and attending fitness classes with her good friends in South Elgin, and later with the gals from Genoa.

She cherished her seven grandchildren, Josephine, Zachary, Jacob, Maggie, Jack, Elli, and Evvi. She poured her love into them, sewing sundresses, tu-tus, knickers; serving lunches in the pool on floaties, reading stories, working on puzzles, and keeping her toy basket filled with fun. She also spent countless days cheering on volleyball and soccer games, and enjoying band concerts and backyard shows.

Ginny brought warmth and love to every occasion. She set the example of how to live a loving, frugal and fulfilling life surrounded by family.

Today she is sitting on her patio near her tulips, red poppies, lilies of the valley, and purple iris, sipping a Whiskey Ginny with Bob, talking with her kids, and smiling as her grandchildren run through their green and glorious backyard. A beautiful life, beautifully lived.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

A private Celebration of Life will be held in July. Family and friends will be contacted with further details.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Memorial Gifts | Friends of the Boundary Waters https://www.friends-bwca.org/memorials/

To sign the guest book, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com