Virginia Lee Black
August 1, 1927 — February 26, 2017
Virginia Lee (Chamberlin) Black, formerly of Eureka, died on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Catholic Care Center in Bel Aire, at the age of 89.
She was born on August 1, 1927, in Kansas City, Kansas, at Bethany Hospital, the daughter of Tunis Dubois and Maud (King) Chamberlin. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father operated a local grocery store. Virginia graduated from Gardner, Kansas High School with the class of 1945. She received a Sears Roebuck Scholarship to Kansas State College in Manhattan, and entered in the fall of 1945. She left Kansas State in 1948, to complete her studies at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri as part of the Registered Medical Technologist program.
While at K-State, Virginia met Harold Thomas Black. They were united in marriage on May 28, 1949, upon completion of her training. To this union, four children were born. The couple lived first in Eureka, Kansas and later on a farm near Reece, Kansas. In 1964, the family moved to Chanute, Kansas where Virginia was employed by the Kansas Tuberculosis Hospital. The family moved to Monte Vista, Colorado in 1970 and again to Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1972. While in Idaho, Virginia was employed by area ear, nose and throat, cardiology, and oncology specialists. She retired in 1990. The couple returned to Eureka in 1996. In 2000, Virginia was diagnosed with breast cancer and became part of a medical study as part of her treatment.
She was very active in the Christian & Congregational Church of Eureka; the Greenwood County Hospital Auxiliary; PEO; Entre Nous; the Red Hats; and the Friends of the (Eureka) Library. She enjoyed reading, gardening, travel, and playing bridge. She always appreciated the love and care of her husband, a loving family, and the friendship and support of wonderful friends wherever she lived. As a breast cancer survivor, she was extremely proud of participating in Relay for Life.
She is survived by four children: son, Dr. John and wife, Mary Ann Black of Akron, Ohio; daughter, Rebecca and husband, Dane Hurt of Wichita, Kansas; daughter, Sarah and husband, Kraig Willis of Plano, Texas; and son, David Black and wife, Helen Talley of McKinney, Texas; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, March 4, 2017 at Koup Family Funeral Home, in Eureka. A private family inurnment will follow at a later date at Barrier-Ladd Cemetery, northwest of Eureka.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorials be made to the American Cancer Society or to the Eureka Public Library. Contributions may be sent in care of Koup Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 595, Eureka, KS 67045, which is overseeing arrangements. Condolences may be left for the family online, at koupfunerals.com
She was born on August 1, 1927, in Kansas City, Kansas, at Bethany Hospital, the daughter of Tunis Dubois and Maud (King) Chamberlin. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father operated a local grocery store. Virginia graduated from Gardner, Kansas High School with the class of 1945. She received a Sears Roebuck Scholarship to Kansas State College in Manhattan, and entered in the fall of 1945. She left Kansas State in 1948, to complete her studies at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri as part of the Registered Medical Technologist program.
While at K-State, Virginia met Harold Thomas Black. They were united in marriage on May 28, 1949, upon completion of her training. To this union, four children were born. The couple lived first in Eureka, Kansas and later on a farm near Reece, Kansas. In 1964, the family moved to Chanute, Kansas where Virginia was employed by the Kansas Tuberculosis Hospital. The family moved to Monte Vista, Colorado in 1970 and again to Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1972. While in Idaho, Virginia was employed by area ear, nose and throat, cardiology, and oncology specialists. She retired in 1990. The couple returned to Eureka in 1996. In 2000, Virginia was diagnosed with breast cancer and became part of a medical study as part of her treatment.
She was very active in the Christian & Congregational Church of Eureka; the Greenwood County Hospital Auxiliary; PEO; Entre Nous; the Red Hats; and the Friends of the (Eureka) Library. She enjoyed reading, gardening, travel, and playing bridge. She always appreciated the love and care of her husband, a loving family, and the friendship and support of wonderful friends wherever she lived. As a breast cancer survivor, she was extremely proud of participating in Relay for Life.
She is survived by four children: son, Dr. John and wife, Mary Ann Black of Akron, Ohio; daughter, Rebecca and husband, Dane Hurt of Wichita, Kansas; daughter, Sarah and husband, Kraig Willis of Plano, Texas; and son, David Black and wife, Helen Talley of McKinney, Texas; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, March 4, 2017 at Koup Family Funeral Home, in Eureka. A private family inurnment will follow at a later date at Barrier-Ladd Cemetery, northwest of Eureka.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorials be made to the American Cancer Society or to the Eureka Public Library. Contributions may be sent in care of Koup Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 595, Eureka, KS 67045, which is overseeing arrangements. Condolences may be left for the family online, at koupfunerals.com
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