Millard, Virginia (Ginger) Halstead

Virginia (Ginger) Halstead Millard, 87, formerly of Vinton, died at the Iowa Veteran's Home in Marshalltown of congestive heart failure on June 4, 2011. Services will be held on 10 a.m. Thursday, June 9, at Phillips Funeral Home, 212 E. Sixth St., in Vinton. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Interment will be held at Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton.

Ginger was born on Nov. 14, 1923, in rural Benton County, to Harold and Bernice (Lyons) King, the oldest of five daughters.

She was united in marriage to Glenn Halstead on Dec. 14, 1940. They were the parents of six children. Glenn died August 1971. She married Donald Millard on Sept. 24, 1973. Don died in October 1998.

Ginger is survived by two sons, Terry (Dixie) Halstead of Lee's Summit Mo., and Rick (Julie) Halstead of Ashburn Va.;, a stepson, Gary (Connie) Millard of Vinton; three daughters, Jacky (Bob) Gihring of Garrison, Glenda (Ray) Roe of Des Moines, and Donna Stevens of Garrison; two daughter-in-laws, Cindy Halstead of Marshalltown, and Cindy Millard of Fort Collins, Colo.; 24 grandchildren; 53 great-children; four great-great-grandchildren; three sisters, Lois Yerkes of Mesa, Ariz., Audrey Harwood of Vinton, and Boots Hoefle of Modesto, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; one son, Kenneth Halstead; one sister, Dorothy Tumilty; one stepson, Dean Millard; and two grandchildren, Christa Halstead and Joseph Gray.

Ginger was a member of the Eastern Star for a while. She enjoyed quilting and sewing for the family. Garage sale signs were always a favorite. She and Don camped and attended the Iowa State Fair for many years and Ginger continued to go every year until moving to the Iowa Veteran's home in Marshalltown. She will be missed.

Memorial donations in Ginger's name may be made to the Iowa Veterans Home or the Iowa Hospice Foundation.