Virginia Young Bobo

Virginia Y. Bobo was born in Lincoln, Idaho but grew up during the 1920’s and 1930’s in Farmington, Utah, the place she always felt was home. She graduated from Davis High School in the class of 1937.

Both of Virginia’s grandfathers were early Latter-day Saint pioneers. Richard Bleak was a six year-old who survived the Martin Handcart Company experience. The other was Lorenzo Sobieski Young, a six year-old in Brigham Young’s first company of pioneers in 1847, and its last surviving member. In 1919, baby Virginia had her picture taken with that grandfather, and so in the present day, she was thought to have been the last person alive to have physically touched a member of the first company. Virginia honored her heritage through her love of the gospel of Jesus Christ and she treasured her membership in His Church. She served in a multitude of church callings and especially loved her opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary in Arcadia, CA in 1989. Virginia was ever-faithful in her commitment to live the principles of the gospel and she bore unshakable testimony of its truthfulness all throughout her life.

In September, 1941 Virginia accepted a position with the War Department in Washington D.C. and moved out on her own to the “east.” It was there during war-time that she met and married her husband, Artie B. “Penny” Bobo, a U.S. Navy corpsman from Alabama. Five children were born to them; Ramona Bobo Christensen Butler (Kenneth) (David Christensen, deceased) of Payson, Utah; Linda Lue Bobo Deaven (Donald), who passed away in 2008, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Kathryn Bobo Bullington Bradley (Jim) of Knoxville, Tennessee; Johnnie Y. Bobo (Diana Facey) of Salt Lake City, Utah; and Eleanor Bobo Holt (Steven) of Camino, California. From them came 21 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren. Her numerous posterity made Virginia so very happy and the prospect of enjoying her wonderful family for all eternity brought her great joy.

In 1960 the family moved to Alabama where Virginia lived for many years. She worked in the excitement of Marshall Space Flight Center during the moon launch and Hubble telescope eras of the 1960’s and 1970’s. After retiring from NASA she lived near family in Athens, AL, Oak Ridge, TN, Elk Grove, CA, Dallas, TX, and Payson, UT. Everywhere she lived she made life-long friendships and cherished each one.

The family wishes to thank the dedicated and expert care-givers of both Parkway Health Center in Payson and the Kindred Federal Heights Nursing Center in Salt Lake City for their kindness and love toward Virginia during these last few months of her declining health.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the Russon Brothers Farmington Mortuary, 1941 N. Main, Farmington, UT, where friends and family may call from 9-9:45 a.m. prior to the funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family indicates that Virginia herself suggested contributions to the L.D.S. Church Missionary Fund.