Virgean M. Shields

SHIELDS, Virgean M. 5/19/1931 – 5/30/2020 Age 89 years of Louisville, Formerly of Ralston Virgean (known to some as Jean) was born May 19, 1931, in Marshfield, Wis., to parents George and Pearl (Kurtzweil) Handrick. Two years later, her brother, Leon, arrived; followed by their baby brother Carroll (Tod) in 1935.By this time, the family had moved to Laona, Wis., where George was employed at Connor Lumber & Land Co. The young family lived in company housing. Virgean carried with her fond memories of growing up near the Wisconsin Dells, especially spending summers at the family farms near Halder.She always boasts of being “a born-and-raised Wisconsin girl.” At an early age, Virgean discovered she had a beautiful soprano voice and people took notice when she began singing with her father during Mass.By the time Virgean was 12, she had become a local celebrity when she was hired to sing on a radio station in Madison, Wis. Shortly before her 14th birthday, life as Virgean knew it came to an end when her father was advised to move away from Wisconsin’s harsh winters for health reasons. George headed south to a warmer climate, making it as far as Omaha, Neb., where he found a job working for Merchants Biscuit Company. Once settled, he called for his family to join him, and so Pearl and the children boarded a train for Omaha leaving Wisconsin behind. As luck would have it, the biscuit company that hired George was owned by National Biscuit Company (NABISCO) and Keebler. It’s employees contributed greatly to the formation of the company known today as Kellogg’s Omaha Plant. The family settled in South Omaha. Being devout Catholics, Pearl insisted her children receive a Catholic education. Virgean attended St. Mary High School (now Mercy High) where she excelled in music and studied piano. Upon graduating in 1949, Virgean was invited to audition for the Juilliard School of Arts in New York City. But, at the last minute her mother had a change of heart, and Pearl convinced her daughter to decline the invitation. After graduating high school, Virgean worked for a dentist office in Ralston, Neb. It was there she met her future husband. Robert (Bob) Shields, Sr., came in with a toothache and walked out with a date. They married in 1951, sharing their wedding anniversary day (June 16) with her parents. The newly-weds lived in Ralston, where Bob worked for the city and was a member of the Ralston Volunteer Fire Department, eventually serving as fire chief from 1958-’62. They welcomed their first child in 1952. Seven more followed with the last born in 1970.They had five girls and three boys: Viki, Kathie, Bob, Peggy & Patti (twins), Tom, Mary Jo, and David (Jake). Bob, an maintenance mechanic, held a number of jobs, while Virgean managed the home front. She continued singing for weddings, Mercy High Alumna Choir, and St. Gerald Church functions. In 1965, following in his father-in-law’s footsteps, Bob secured a job at Kellogg’s. By this time, the family had moved to Bay Meadows into an old farmhouse located next to a city park that was within walking distance to the new Ralston High School - it was the perfect setup for raising a large family. When not working on home improvements, Bob converted an old school bus he bought from St. James Orphanage into a camper. The family spent many weekends traveling and camping. Once most of their children graduated from high school, Bob and Virgean moved to the Springfield-Louisville area, where they lived for nearly 15 years. During this time, Bob built an “A-Frame by the river,” which was the house Virgean always dreamed of living in ever since leaving Wisconsin. After Bob’s retirement from Kellogg’s in 1990, the couple enjoyed their golden years living as snowbirds in Custer, S.D., and Safford, AZ., and then Tucson.Each location proved to be an ideal vacation site for friends and family from across the country to visit. The couple returned to Omaha in 2001 to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. When Bob, Sr., passed away in 2006, Virgean continued living in Arizona for five years. She returned to Nebraska in 2011 to live closer to several of her daughters. She jokingly said she wishes to be remembered for “being a good cook and never losing her temper.” Her fun-loving personality, wonderful sense of humor, and taste for glamour, along with her self-described “Irish-Bohemian” temperament, will long be remembered by many. Her cooking skills? Not so much. Preceded in death by husband Robert, Sr. & son Robert, Jr., brother Tod, grandson D.J., son-in-law Alan; Survived by: Children: Victoria, Kathleen, Peggy, Patti, Thomas, Mary Jo, David; Brother Leon (Jan); Sisters-in-law:Darlene & Maureen; 14 Grandchildren & 17 Great-Grandchildren; Many other relatives and friends. A celebration of Virgean’s well-lived life will be held in Omaha once it is determined safe to gather in a large group. Braman Mortuary - Southwest Chapel 6505 S. 144 St. Omaha, NE68137 402-895-3400