OBITUARY: Virginia Mae Brass

Virginia Mae Brass

Virginia Mae Kingry Brass died Friday, May 3, 2024, at her home in Overton, Nevada. She was born June 24, 1927, in Ames, Nebraska, to Robert Maurice and Mary Emma Gibson Kingry.

A colorful personality, Virginia was well known in the Overton community. If you didn’t find her at her regular hangout, the local McDonald’s, she was at the Moapa Valley Senior Center playing bingo or socializing.

She had seven brothers, four of whom survived to adulthood. She showed her colors early using her toy baby buggy as a race car around the house. Though she was in charge of dinner when her mother went to work in a local munitions factory during WWII, she let supper burn occasionally while she was busy reading. She also played the piano and organ for church and enjoyed roller skating at the Fremont Roller Rink.

In Fremont she met a young man named Ed. The landlady knew when Ed wanted to talk to her as he would circle the house on his Harley. On September 15, 1950, she married Edward James Brass in Fremont, Nebraska. After tying the knot with Ed, WWII style, they moved West to Washington state for the job opportunities. They built their place in Pasco, Washington, from the ground up through hard sweat and sheer American can-do. During this time, they had two girls, Sandra Brass (Scott) Jenkins and Sheri Brass (Robert) Carter (1952–2022). They kept livestock and horses on the place and Virginia enjoyed horseback riding with the Franklin County Saddle Club participating in the competitive trail ride.

While Ed started as a plumber and steamfitter, he and Virginia eventually evolved the place into a senior manufactured home park named Pathfinder Park. Due to their hard work, they were able to retire early, selling the trailer park, and pursuing their passion: motorcycles. Virginia and Ed were part of the motorcycle group United Retread.They attended motorcycle rallies and actively toured the US on their bikes (with dog Kola) from 1976 to 1980 seeing and appreciating the US from the backroads, not stopping until their late 70s.

Their granddaughters (Jennifer Brass Jenkins of Millcreek, UT; Julienne Kingry Jenkins of Menlo Park, CA; and Jaelynn Ripplinger Jenkins of Millcreek, UT) were occasionally surprised to find them waiting in front of their house on lawn chairs when they drove through Salt Lake City for a visit.

Virginia loved watching baseball, golf, football, and then any other sport, especially the Cubs and Mariners (in that order). She was an active Facebook user and carried her iPad with her everywhere, keeping track of the grandkids. (She and Ed also managed to have the latest cars and gadgets—microwave—before anyone else.)

She was preceded in death by one daughter, Sheri Carter and seven brothers. As Gma herself said, she was sports and cars rather than pearls and furs. She was a force to be reckoned with, and we will miss her.

A visitation will be held Friday, May 10, 2024, from 6–8 pm at the Moapa Valley Mortuary, 5090 N. Moapa Valley Blvd., Logandale, Nevada. Graveside services will be held Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 9 am in the Logandale Cemetery.

Friends and family are invited to sign an online guest book at moapavalleymortuary.com.

If you are a biker, please ride your motorcycle to the services in her honor.