Virginia J. Bontrager

Virginia J. “Aunt Ginny” Bontrager, 93, of Dowagiac, passed away Monday, January 23, 2017 at Woodland Terrace of Niles. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 P.M Friday, January 27, 2017 at Clark Chapel, 405 Center St., Dowagiac with Pastor Justin Shephard officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Dowagiac. Friends may visit with the family from 11:00 A.M until the time of the service at the funeral home.  Memorials may be made to the Cass County Council on Aging or Cass County Animal Shelter. Those wishing to sign Virginia’s Memory Book online may do so at www.clarkch.com. Virginia was born January 31, 1923 in Dowagiac, MI to Harry and Irene (Powell) Ibbotson. She graduated from Dowagiac Union High School in 1940 and received a Master’s Degree in reading from Western Michigan University in 1968. On June 10, 1950 she married Ervin Bontrager in Dowagiac. The two lived a life of work, travel, business ownership and so much more. Virginia started her school teaching career at the young age of 18 at rural schools in the area. In 1945 she worked at the Air Force Depot in South Bend. Virginia then went on to work as an accountant for Fruit Belt Electric in Cassopolis. In 1947 she went to work as a flight attendant with Trans World Airlines. Throughout her career with the airlines she crossed the Atlantic Ocean 48 times and the Pacific Ocean 8 times. Virginia then went on with her teaching career at Niles Community School and retired from teaching in 1982. Virginia was lovingly known to all as “Aunt Ginny”. Ginny and Ervin had a love for traveling and took many wonderful trips. A favorite destination for Ginny and Ervin was the Caribbean. On two occasions, niece Elizabeth Burchell and her husband, Tim, traveled to the Alps, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Central Europe, Poland and Hungary with Aunt Ginny. She was a 20 year member of the Council on Aging, Junior Arts and Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel both in Cass and Berrien Counties. She enjoyed playing bridge and belonged to many clubs. Ginny was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Virginia is survived by her nephew, Tim Burchell of Birch Lake, Vandalia, MI; niece, Linda Williams of Elkhart, IN; great nieces and nephews, Lisa (Reed) Holloway of Florida; Mark (Melinie) Griggs of Florida and Martin (Taesha) Griggs of California; many great-great nieces and nephews and a special friend and caretaker Sandy Jurgenson. Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Ervin in 1996, her niece Elizabeth Ann Burchell and a sister, Barbara Dick.