Virginia J. McClelland
Virginia J. McClelland, 98, of Butler passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, at Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
She was born Jan. 14, 1921, in Sheridan to the late Daniel Staiger and Juliana Flora (Klein) Staiger.
Virginia graduated from Slippery Rock High School in 1940.
Her earliest aspiration was to be a professional singer, although that dream was interrupted by World War II. She briefly attended business school in Pittsburgh, then lived and worked for a short time in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., during the war. She spent the rest of her life in Butler.
Virginia never stopped loving music and singing. She was a member of Nixon United Methodist Church and an active participant in the choir. She was creative and very active throughout her entire life. Most summers, even into her early 90s, she worked picking berries at local farms. She loved birds and nature and taking long walks. She was an avid reader and she kept a life-long journal having written poetry and short stories. Virginia loved to cook and bake. She helped make quilts for fundraising projects at her church. She loved traveling and was always ready for a new adventure. Her cheerful smile and the life-loving twinkle in her eyes remained. Her motto: “I haven’t ever done that; let’s go!”
She is survived by her brother, Hugh Klein Staiger of Palmyra, Va.; her son, Michael Thomas Ahner of Colorado Springs, Colo.; her two grandsons, Michael R. Ahner and Brian Christianson, both of Michigan; several stepchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
In addition to her parents, Virginia was preceded in death by her first husband, Luther Nathaniel Ahner in 1986; her second husband, Gardiner Eugene McClelland in 2000; and her brothers, Merle Dale Staiger and John Daniel Staiger.
MCCLELLAND — Visitation for Virginia J. McClelland, who died Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, 124 E. North St., Butler.
A funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. William Gilligan officiating.
Burial will be in Greenlawn Burial Estates.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Nixon United Methodist Church, 334 Airport Road, Butler, PA 16002 or the Butler Area Public Library, 218 N. McKean St., Butler, PA 16001.
Online condolences can be given at www.thompson-miller.com.
