Virginia Ashby, 101, of Grinnell, died on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, March 4, 2024 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Grinnell. A luncheon will follow the service. Interment will be at Bethel Cemetery near Lynnville.

The family will receive friends at the visitation held one hour prior to the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to St. John's Lutheran Church or to the St. Francis Manor Foundation, mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home and Crematory, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with Virginia's family online at www.smithfh.com.

Virginia June Redding was born on January 23, 1923 in Kellogg, Iowa to George and Ellen (Johnson) Redding. She was raised in Kellogg and graduated from Kellogg High School in 1940.

Following her education, she worked as a meat processor at the Kellogg Locker, where she met Harry Ashby. They were united in marriage on December 28, 1941, in Kellogg. The couple operated a grain and livestock farm southwest of Grinnell and operated a meat market in Tama, Iowa. Virginia later worked at Stadium's Unlimited and GENTEL Credit Union. She was a member of Farm Bureau, 4-H, and St. John's Lutheran Church, where she served on the Ladies Aid committee. Virginia enjoyed cooking, baking, canning, gardening, and traveling, especially their trips to England and Puerto Rico. She cherished every moment with her family, especially her grandchildren.

Virginia is survived by her children: Gordon (Karen) Ashby, Darrell (Joyce) Ashby and Miriam (Dale) Schultz, all of Grinnell; 19 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harry Ashby; son, Allan; daughter-in-law, Jean Ashby; grandson, Gary; and her siblings, Donald (Dorothy), Virgil (Marie), and Francis who died in infancy.