By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
VIRGINIA JEANNE FERREIRA
Jan. 23, 1927 – March 20, 2021
Virginia Ferreira obit pic
Virginia passed away peacefully on March 20, 2021, at the age of 94. She was born in Monterey, CA to Hazel and John Turano. While attending Hartnell Junior College, Virginia was issued an emergency teaching credential at the onset of WWII. She was 19 when she began teaching at Castroville Elementary in Castroville, CA. It was there that she met her husband, Augustine, who often came to pick up his youngest sister from Virginia’s second grade class.
After their marriage in 1949, Virginia and Augie lived in Watsonville, CA. While Augie continued farming with his family, Virginia quickly learned to speak Portuguese in order to converse with her new family. Several years and three children later, the young Ferreira family relocated to a dairy farm in Dos Palos, CA. They eventually settled on a small almond farm in Escalon in 1964. By that time the family had expanded to include seven children.
Virginia passed on many of her interests to her family including her lifelong passions for gardening, art, reading, cooking, and music. She sang in the church choir wherever she lived and taught herself to play both the piano and the organ. She was a very enthusiastic card player, never passing up the opportunity for a competitive game. She continued meeting weekly to play canasta with her ladies group until the COVID lock down. There is rarely a Ferreira gathering that doesn’t involve a lively game of cards. Cooking was another major interest. She was continually collecting and trying new recipes, amassing over the years an impressive collection of scrapbook binders full of pages from newspapers, magazines, and hand written notes. Virginia was also enthusiastic about regular exercise, continuing to attend group classes in Escalon throughout her 80’s during which time she volunteered to lead an exercise class for the local fellow senior citizens.
Virginia became proficient in Spanish to work as a Bilingual Aide at both Dent Elementary and El Portal Middle Schools. After her retirement she continued on in the classroom, volunteering in her daughter Katherine’s first grade class at Dent twice a week creating and teaching art projects to the children.
Virginia was an active member of Saron Lutheran Church where she served a term on the church council and as secretary for the Education and Youth Ministry team. She was also a member of Pricilla Circle and participated in several adult Bible studies over the years. Her beautiful soprano voice, still strong through her later years, could occasionally be heard singing solos and duets during the early service.
Although preceded in death by her husband Augustine Jr. and her three sons; Augustine III, Timothy and Thomas, Virginia lived on to become the matriarch of five generations. She is survived by her daughters Katherine Pendleton, Martha Strand (Dennis), Christine Clark (Richard), Jacqueline Ferreira and daughter-in-laws Claire Owens (Steve) and Tina Sweeney (Mike), also 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
There will be a graveside interment for family only at St. John’s Cemetery, Escalon.  Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no reception.
Remembrances may be made to: Community Hospice, https://www.communityhospice.com/give/ or Saron Lutheran Church, 1742 North Street, Escalon, California 95320-1834.
The Escalon (Calif.) Times

March 31, 2021