Thief River Falls – Virginia “Ginger” Filpula, 56, of Thief River Falls, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 21, 2024, at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND.
Virginia Ann Filpula was born January 11, 1968, in Thief River Falls, the youngest of five children born to LaVerne and Maxine (Laidley) Filpula. She was baptized and confirmed at Oak Ridge Lutheran Church, rural Thief River Falls. She attended Mark Twain Elementary, Franklin Middle and graduated from Lincoln High School with the Class of 1988.
Virginia was lovingly known as Ginger throughout her life.
Following high school, Ginger went to work at Dee’s Kitchen for a short time and then spent the next 30 years working on the paint line at Arctic Cat where she was still currently employed. She enjoyed her coworkers, her work, and especially teasing the lead personnel.
Ginger dearly loved her family and spending time with them. She loved to go shopping and to lunch with her sisters, Bonnie and Renae. She enjoyed scrapbooking with Renae. She had a special relationship with her nieces and nephews, and great nieces spending time with them and buying things for them. In her earlier years, Ginger enjoyed fishing with her family at Lake of the Woods and Canada and going snowmobiling, especially to Grandma Laidley’s. She loved the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings.
Ginger was a very sweet, kindhearted woman with a contagious smile. She enjoyed talking on the phone, telling stories and laughing so hard she could hardly finish her story.
Survivors include her mother, Maxine; siblings, Eugene “Gene” Filpula, Renae (Kendall) Jensen, Bonnie (Vernon) Erdmann and Richard “Rick” Filpula all of Thief River Falls; nieces and nephews, Joshua (Angie) Jensen, Aaron Jensen, Ross (Lindsey) Erdmann, Lora Filpula, DeAnn (Dave) Errand; great-nieces, Gracie, Cora and Taylor Jensen; uncles, Duane (Janice) Olson; aunts, Joyce Olson, Janice Nelson and Gloria (Larry) Haug; special cousin, Michelle (Ray) Corbet; and many other relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her father, LaVerne; grandparents, Roy and Sophia Laidley, Arnie Filpula, Allen and Lydia Olson; aunts and uncles, Betty Lou and Bill Koebernick, Maynard and Bea Laidley, Beverly Kezar, Duane and Frances Laidley, Dorothy and Edwin Lappegaard, Lloyd Olson, and Leland Nelson.
The family would especially like to thank Lacey Konickson for the care and friendship she gave to Ginger.
Visitation took place at 10 a.m. with the service to celebrate Ginger’s life at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 28, 2024, at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls. Rev. Timothy Lundeen was the officiant. Burial followed at Oak Ridge Cemetery, rural Thief River Falls.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com.
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