Virginia Mae Hollister Regier, 87, died Saturday May 30, 2015 at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka, KS.She was born May 16, 1928, the middle child of Leon George and Jennie Caroline Stevens Hollister, at Bethel Hospital, Newton, KS. She was raised in the Sedgwick and Wichita area of South Central Kansas where family roots were well established.

Virginia graduated from Sedgwick High School in 1946 and continued her education at Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia (now known as Emporia State) and Wichita State University.

She was a schoolteacher for more than 20 years, teaching at Rural School #24 Doty, Benton, Wichita, Fairview, Powhattan and Hiawatha.  After leaving teaching, she was employed by the World Publishing Co. for 27 years and worked in various capacities:  advertising sales, Lifestyles editor and editor of The Everest World.  As a journalist and editorial writer, she received a number of awards from the Kansas Press Association.

She was very active in the community, having served as a member of the Board of Directors and as President of the Hiawatha Chamber of Commerce.    She was also a member of the Hiawatha Business and Professional Women and served as Secretary of the Hiawatha PRIDE Committee.   She was a long-standing member of the Saturday Club of Hiawatha, and volunteered for many years with the annual Hiawatha Halloween Frolic, serving on the Hiawatha Halloween Queen Committee, building and judging floats, and helping organize The Lions Club After-Parade Dance.   She had previously served as Honorary Grand Marshall for the Parade, and most recently worked with Hiawatha World staff to compile a special commemorative booklet to mark the Frolic’s 100th anniversary year.

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Hiawatha for more than 40 years.   She took special pride in the Church’s music programs, particularly the Chancel Choir, in which she sang for at least 20 years.   She had previously served as well on the Church’s Worship Committee and Board of Trustees, and had held nearly every leadership role in the United Methodist Women, in which she was active until her death.   Virginia and her late husband John were also long-standing members of the Hiawatha Lions Club, having served the Club as secretary for a combined total of more than 40 years.  Virginia was also very active in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life organization.  She participated in a number of roles including the Event Leadership Team – Relay for Life of Brown County.  She also organized and presented “Chat Time” at Maple Heights for a number of years, a monthly discussion group for residents there.

Virginia married S/Sgt. John Duane Regier on December 23, 1949 at The First United Methodist Church, Sedgwick, KS.  He died on December 6, 1993.

She was preceded in death by her parents; older brother, Gilbert and sister, Doris and younger brother and sister (twins) Gerald and Genevieve.

She is survived by her son, Chris (Katy) of Olathe, KS, Michael (Gordon) of Morristown, NJ, two grandchildren, Tyler Regier, Urbandale, IA and Ashley Regier, Wichita, KS; two great-grandchildren, Connor and Nicole (Colee) Regier, Urbandale, IA; two sisters-in-law, Inez Hollister, Wichita, and Minnie Hollister, Shattuck, OK; brother-in-law Jim Davison of Sedgwick, KS, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews that she cherished very much.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 6, 2015, at the First United Methodist Church, 401 Hiawatha Ave, Hiawatha, KS at 1:30 pm.  The interment services will be at the Hillside Cemetery in Sedgwick, KS on a date later this summer. 

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the First United Methodist Church, Hiawatha, KS or the Morrill Public Library, Hiawatha, KS, and may be sent in care of Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, 124 S 7th St., Hiawatha 66434.  A message may be sent to the family at www.chapeloaksfuneralhome.com