Our dearly beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, Virgilene Hatfield Adkins, passed away peacefully on April 25, 2018, surrounded by her loving husband and children. Born in Verdunville, Logan County, West Virginia on November 17, 1939 to parents Edwin Morrow Hatfield and Mabel Hayes, Virgie was the second of five children, the family’s only daughter, and a great help to her mother. In high school, she studied stenography and was the Junior Carnival Queen and Senior Attendant to Miss Logan High.
She also started dating Rupert Adkins, with whom she loved to go dancing and to Morrison’s Drive-In for slaw dogs. She married Rupe in Lebanon, Virginia, on May 9, 1958, after 2 years of dating. In 1962, the family moved from West Virginia to Los Angeles, California, where Rupert embarked on a career in law enforcement and where they raised three children, David, Mark, and Jennifer.
While in California, she was an active member of her community, helping to run the Miss Lakewood pageant for many years and participating in political campaigns. In her leisure time, she loved to go to the beach with her family to collect seashells and go to amusement parks. She especially loved Knott’s Berry Farm, Disneyland, and Marineland.
After Rupe’s retirement from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, they moved to Provo, Utah in 1992 to live closer to their children and enjoy a growing number of grandchildren. One of Virgie’s delights was living in Utah’s mountains. She could often be found on her front porch watching the sunrise above Y Mountain.
Virgie also especially loved Provo’s Freedom Festival and 4th of July parade, where she could be found every year camping overnight with grandchildren to save a prime parade viewing spot. All of her children attended BYU, so Virgie was also a huge Cougars fan. Virgie was a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and exemplified her beliefs through the way in which she lived her life, which was full of selflessness, love, and service.
While she held various church positions throughout her life, she especially loved the scouting program and served as a den mother and merit badge counselor and on a scouting advisory council. Virgie always gave freely and graciously of herself in behalf of her beloved family. Ever the optimist, she could be found sharing her cheerful and loving disposition with whomever she came in contact, and family and friends alike adored her playfulness and keen sense of humor.
Music was always a big part of Virgie’s home. For many years, Virgie and Rupe even had a 1950’s era jukebox from her brother Nick in their family room. They would often be found dancing to their favorite songs.
Some of Virgie’s favorite artists included Elvis, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Sam Cooke, and John Denver. She was also a movie buff and loved collecting movies for her grandkids to watch. Some of her very favorites were The Quiet Man, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and every Disney movie ever made.
She grew up watching Saturday Westerns with her dad and carried on that tradition until late in her life. Spending the night at Grandma’s house was a cherished tradition among her grandchildren, with some even claiming that it was more fun than Disneyland. She loved them dearly, and in proper grandmotherly fashion, spoiled them in every way imaginable.
Virgie was the number one cheerleader and fan of her loved ones, and she faithfully attended every family member’s concerts, recitals, performances, and events. She was a gifted cook and baker and was never happier than when she was preparing meals for loved ones. These meals often ended up being huge amounts of food, because she always wanted to ensure that everyone had something they liked.
Her family will greatly miss the many Sunday dinners and cherished holidays and birthdays spent together at her home, where there was love and laughter in abundance. Virgie’s very greatest joy in life was her family, and she loved going on family trips, seeing the country she loved so dearly, and spending her vacations visiting her parents and brothers in Ohio. She frequently expressed her deep love for her children in sweet and tender notes, cards, and letters that will remain cherished mementos for generations to come.
Virgie’s love was unique and powerful, so much so that even during a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s dementia, her devotion for family members was more powerful than the disease, allowing her to recognize and express affection to them until the end. Virgilene is survived by her brothers, Foster Hatfield (Barb) and Carl Hatfield (Linda), husband, Rupert Adkins, three children, David Adkins (Heidi), Mark Adkins (Nina), and Jennifer Alton (Jeff), ten grandchildren, and one great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin Morrow and Mabel (Hayes) Hatfield, and two of her brothers, Nick Hatfield (Ruth) and Robert Hatfield (Carlene).
Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 30 at 1 pm at the Sundberg-Olpin Funeral Home chapel at 495 S. State St. in Orem, Utah. There will be a public viewing at the funeral home from 11:45 am to 12:45 pm prior to the services. Interment will be at the Provo City Cemetery.
Virgie’s family wishes to express gratitude to the staff of Legacy House of Spanish Fork and Comfort Worx Hospice, who provided excellent care for Mom in her final time with us. Condolences may be shared here and at Virgie’s We Remember site: weremember.com/virgilene-hatfield-adkins/nml-euc/memories. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Alzheimer’s research.
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