Virginia “Virgie’ was born to Joseph and Theresa (Velcheck) Ludwig of Rudyard, the eldest of 11 children. For her 99 years, 8 months, and 3 days she dedicated her life to her family, first helping raise her 10 siblings and then her own family of 8 children. Virgie passed away peacefully at Liberty Medical Center in Chester.
Her goal in life was taking care of her family and everyone else who entered her life. She was the family barber, cook, baker, gardener, and babysitter. Most of all she loved those babies and they loved her.
(Remember her maple bars). She grew up on the homestead south of Rudyard. She was not able to start school at that time, so the teachers sent books home for her mother to work with her.
They moved closer to town in 1927. She started school with her brother (Junior) in the same grade and they graduated from high school in 1937. Virgie married her high school sweetheart, Jay Vee Fried, in October of 1938 and lived in the Gildford area.
He farmed with his dad and moved to Havre where he worked on the railroad. They had three children; Janice, Jack, and Lynn. Jay entered the service toward the end of WWII and was tragically killed on his PT boat one week before his 26th birthday.
Virgie continued to live in Gildford and raise her three children. She met Thomas (Bud) Toner and they were married on June 22, 1948. Together they had five children; Tom, Mary Lou, Bill, Dave, and Jerry.
Bud farmed and ran the shop in Gildford for years. He passed away on September 30, 1996 and Virgie remained at home until she had health problems in 2013. She spent the next 5 years at Wheat Country Assisted Living, the Liberty Medical Center and the nursing home in Chester.
We will be forever thankful for the care she received in both facilities. We were lucky to have had her in their care. Virgie is survived by her children: Jack (Mary Nell) Fried of Denver, Lynn (Jim) Heydon of Missoula, Tom of Borup, Minn.
, Mary Lou (Chuck) Dees of Kremlin, Dave of Gildford, and Jerry (Jody) of Havre. She is also survived by her brothers: Tom (Pat) Ludwig of Chester, and Ted Ludwig of California. She was preceded in death by husbands: Jay Fried (1945) and Bud Toner (1996), daughter Janice Funk (2004), and son William (Bill) in 1974, along with her parents, Tracy and Joe Ludwig, and eight siblings.
She was the proud Grandma of 19 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren. Rosary will be held January 11, 2019 at 7:00 pm at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Hingham. Memorial services will be held on January 12, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. also at Our Lady of Ransom in Hingham.
Burial will be at the Havre Calvary Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. on that same day. Memorials can be made to Our Lady of Ransom Church in Hingham, Mt. , Hi-Line Health Foundation in Chester, Mt.
, or to one’s personal choice. Rockman Funeral Home in Chester is handling the arrangements.
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