Et cetera : Virginia Holsten is Vinton Women's Club Woman of the Year

Long-time Vinton librarian Virginia Holsten was extremely surprised and touched when she received the annual Woman of the Year award at the Vinton Women's Club spring banquet on Tuesday, April 22. “It was so overwhelming,” she said. “So many people said so many nice things.” Jill g. Lockard-Bopp, who grew up as a neighbor to “Ginny,” and Jill’s husband, Tony, led the ceremony to honor Virginia at the Vinton Country Club. It’s a custom for the Vinton Women’s Club to keep the award a secret from the honoree, even while they invite all of that woman’s family and even friends from other states to attend the event. Virginia attended the meeting after being told the Jill was going to receive the woman of the Year honor. “I was supposed to be bringing Jill to the event. She was not supposed to be bringing me,” said Virginia. Jill and her sister Jan, who returned to Iowa for the event, shared memories of growing up with Virginia as their neighbor and friend. "You were not just a friend; You became family," said Jill. Jill told about how after she had had surgery, Virginia came every day to help her walk. And when Jill’s mom, Maxine, was diagnosed with terminal brain tumors, Virginia became even more important to the Lockard family. “When our mother was dying, Mom knew she was OK and she knew I was OK because Ginny was there,” she said. Virginia said she lived next door to the Lockards from 1975 until Maxine’s death in 1997. Virginia said she went by Ginny for a while when she was in Vinton, but people started calling her “Jenny” which led to “Jennifer.” “So I went back to Virginia,” she said. But most of the people who remembered Virginia’s early days still called her “Ginny” during the tribute to her Tuesday evening. Friends and relatives remembered how Ginny went to the cabin in northern Minnesota with blue hair – a reward for the Summer Reading Program participants reaching their goal. The next year, she went back with green hair. They also remembered how the carryout boys at Fareway were afraid to approach Virginia’s VW because Dancer of Dane Ridge Blue, Virginia’s huge purebred blue Great Dane, was filling the back seat of the car. “A lot of people were a little concerned about the big dog in the VW,” she recalls. The Vinton Library Board members also attended the event. Library Board member Jeff Peterson spoke on behalf of the Library Board. He told the audience that Virginia is “beyond perfect” for the job. Peterson also recalled how Virginia was the first person he talked to when he first came to Vinton. But by the second time he went to the library, Virginia knew what kind of books he liked. “I hope she never retires,” Peterson said. Jill also read many letters which people had written in honor of Virginia. Virginia’s son-in-law, Barry Johnson, told the audience how Virginia made him feel like part of the family from Day 1, and how the two of them have taken some road trips together. He also spoke about how eager Virginia’s granddaughter, Aidan, was to come to the event. “She’s looking forward to spending a weekend with her grandmother soon,” Barry said. Library employees Sharon Rhinehart and Lana Schwarting spoke about Virginia’s work at the library. They told about how she personally delivered books to shut-ins, and how understanding and tolerant she was while working with an all-female staff. When asked if she had anything else to say about being named Woman of the Year, Virginia said, “No.” “It’s still so overwhelming I can’t even think yet,” she said.