Virginia Lou Carter Galvin was born August 23, 1925 in Des Moines, Iowa to Frank and Gertrude (Overacker) Carter. After relocating to Buffalo, New York for several years, the family settled in Ames, Iowa. Frank died at age 38 when Virginia was 12 years old.
Virginia earned her way through college by working as a Harvey Girl waitress in Chicago during the summer months. She graduated from Iowa State University with double majors in Restaurant Management and Dietetics.
Virginia married Joe Galvin in 1946 in Chicago and together they had six children. After moving to Chesterton, Indiana in 1955, and when the children were all in school, Virginia returned to college and earned her master’s degree in Education from Indiana University. She went on to work for the Duneland (Indiana) Schools as a reading consultant for 20 years.
Virginia and Joe took on many real estate projects, including several rental properties. Their biggest project was the development of the subdivision Gaelic Green on South 5th Street. It was here that they moved the old brick Morgan schoolhouse and remodeled it to become their home and a showplace for Virginia’s many antiques. After her husband’s death in 1989, Virginia continued to maintain and manage the rental properties.
Virginia was predeceased by her parents, her husband Joe, and her son Tim. She is survived by her sister, Shirley Beatty as well as her children, Mike Galvin (Susan Demos), Kathy Monroe (Mike), Susan Jeffrey (Dick), Dan Galvin (Suzi), and Sheila Pearman (Perry); her daughter-in-law Kathy Galvin, and 15 grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held at Chesterton Cemetery at 1:00 Sunday, June 6, followed by a reception from 2:00 to 4:00 for family and friends at the Galvin home, 901 Shannon Dr. in Chesterton
The family requests no flowers, but donations in Virginia’s memory can be made to World Vision, Inc. for African hunger relief, or to a charity of the giver’s choice.
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