Virginia Lee (Shields) Austin, 75, of Pleasant Hill, died Monday, Sept. 8 at Country Club Care Center in Warrensburg, Missouri.
Funeral Services will be held 10 a.m. Friday, September 12, 2014 at Williams Funeral Chapel in Holden, Missouri with Pastor Preston Sanders of Strasburg Baptist Church officiating. Interment will follow in the Chilhowee Cemetery.
She was born April 5, 1939 in Moundville, Missouri the daughter of Ralph LeRoy Shields and Lorene Virginia (Bright) Shields. Virginia lived in Pleasant Hill, Missouri most of her adult life. She worked at Gerbes’ in the card and floral department for several years. After Virginia was blessed with grandchildren, she began babysitting them in her home. In 1992 she became a bus aid for the Pleasant Hill School District where she retired from in 2007. Virginia loved her riders. She always bonded with each one in their own special way.
Virginia was a member of the Big Creek Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill Young Matrons Extension Club and Just for Fun Red Hat Club. She had a passion for oil painting and spent hours watching painting shows on TV. She attended painting classes from the late Pat Clark. Other hobbies included playing cards, board games, sewing, crafts, bowling and listening to Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus with family and friends. Virginia’s favorite pastime was spending time with her grandkids. She attended every musical, play, school program, and sports event possible.
Survivors include her daughter, Chantell Lorene Benware of Pleasant Hill, Missouri; son, Jimmie Dale Austin Jr. and wife, Robin of Chilhowee Missouri; grandchildren & great Grandchildren: Bryan Benware and wife, Stephanie of St Louis, Missouri; Casey Benware of Pleasant Hill, Missouri and his daughter, Briley; Crystal Benware of Pleasant Hill, MO; Clifford Swope and wife, Kerri of Warrensburg, Missouri and their daughter, Karley and son, Collin; Russell Austin & Debbie Hendon of Chilhowee, Missouri and their daughter, Felicia and sons, Hunter & Dalton; Dustie Caldwell and husband, Chris of Warrensburg, Missouri and their son, Noah and daughter, Briahna; brothers, Richard Shields of Kansas City, Missouri; Ed Shields wife, Sandy of Chilhowee, Missouri and Leonard Shields and wife, Margaret of Chilhowee Missouri; sisters, Lou Jane Bywater & Paul Kiser of Sierre Vista, Arizona; Donna Sherron and husband, Tom of Smithfield, North Carolina; Debbie Parsons and husband, Harold of Holden, Missouri; Cindy Hill and husband, Darrell of Chilhowee, Missouri and many nieces, nephews, cousins. She was preceded in death by both parents; two brothers, Tommy Shields and Gene Shields; sister-in-law, Ruth Shields, four nephews and one niece.
The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorial Contributions are suggested to Big Creek Baptist Church in Pleasant Hill or Johnson County Sheltered Workshop Warrensburg, Missouri.