Death is a natural part of life though we celebrate it differently from birth. Betty Skinner had the warmth of the hand of her youngest daughter Virginia (Ginney) C. Fowler, to hold as she transitioned on Friday, July 31. She also had the comfort of family members who preceded her.
As with many women Betty’s age, higher education was not a choice, but she worked as hard as she could to see that Ginney attended and graduated from college. Betty was especially proud that Ginney earned her Ph.D and would brag to all who would listen.
Betty had a love of her family and collected all the knowledge about them that she could. She enjoyed sharing her stories with her six grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Betty and her second husband, Albert Skinner, moved to Blacksburg to be closer to and cared for by Ginney, her only surviving daughter. Her oldest daughter, Diana Roane, had passed as had her brother, Harlan, and sister, Charline Jacoby. Her younger sister, Georgianna Jacoby, is not well and lives in Waxahachie Texas, with family.
There is the thought that death is the end, but there can never be an end where love has been sown. The seeds of love have been carried by the birds and the wind and the rain to settle in the embrace of soil. Some seeds grow and some will turn and turn until they become stones of value to those who find them. Some are diamonds and some are rocks, but all keep returning to the love that was put next to them as they began their rest. We are birthed with our mothers, but we only have the comfort loneliness brings as she transitions.
Visitation will be today, Wednesday, Aug. 5 from 5–7 p.m. at McCoy Funeral Home in Blacksburg.
Graveside services will be Friday, Aug.7, at 11 a.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Lexington, Kent., at the Jacoby Memorial. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.
