Virginia Rose Killmer, 95, of Falcon Heights, Apple Valley and Grand Marais, died Aug. 13, 2016.
She was born on the family homestead in Lutsen and was educated in Grand Marais and at the University of Minnesota. She was an active 4-H Club member, winning many county and state honors in sewing, bread-making and Junior Leadership, as well as a trip to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago in 1937. A 4-H Club Leader for 15 years, she won the Golden Clover award for leadership.
She served as office manager for Killmer’s Northern Nurseries in Falcon Heights and Apple Valley, associated with major flower-bulb growers Witteman & Co. (Hillegom, Holland) and the Multiflora Bulb & Import Co.
She moved to Lake Superior west of Grand Marais, operated a Fodors-listed bed-and-breakfast, Killmers on the Water, for 10 years and hosted more than 400 guests.
She sang in church choirs and taught Sunday school for 25 years. She held membership, at various times, at Methodist churches in St. Anthony Park and Rosemount and United Churches of Christ in Falcon Heights and Grand Marais.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Marion Killmer; parents, Rosa and Homer Massie; brothers, Howard (Linnea) and Philip (Auneda) Massie; grandson Andrew Killmer; and daughter-in-law Penny Killmer.
She is survived by her sons, Ronald, Bruce and Richard (Nancy); daughter, Debra Tachibana (Kenji); nine grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
She moved to Hopkins to live her final years at the Glenn retirement community, where she continued to study the Bible and read widely.
