1917
Virginia
2007
Virginia Yates
September 27, 1917 — March 16, 2007
Virginia Darnes Yates, retired elementary school teacher and reading specialist who began her professional career as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in western Kansas, and retired from Penn Valley Community College after establishing and serving as Director of its Reading Center, died at her home in Prairie Village Kansas on March 16, 2007.
Virginia was born September 27, 1917 at the Darnes Ranch near Attica, Kansas to Mason and Bonnie (Wolfe) Darnes. She graduated from Attica High School and obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg. Her teaching career began in a one-room school (Kerr) in Harper County, Kansas, followed by three years of teaching at the elementary level in Liberal, Kansas. In 1944, she was invited by her maternal Uncle, Warren T. Wolfe, to assist him in his commercial real estate business in Kansas City, Missouri. Following her Uncle?s death, Virginia began teaching in the Shawnee Mission School District, serving at Prairie Elementary School and Porter Elementary School, both in Prairie Village, Kansas, and at Highlands Elementary School in Mission, Kansas. In 1956 she obtained a Master of Arts Degree and Reading Specialist Degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and was subsequently hired to establish and serve as Director of the Reading Center at Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, Missouri.
During her teaching career, Virginia was active in numerous professional associations. She served as a Board Member of the International Reading Association as well as one of the first IRA Field Consultants for the International Reading Association. Virginia served as a contributing editor for several publishing houses, and also authored a book published by McGraw Hill entitled Listening and Note-Taking. Virginia was a member of Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. She was a member the Order of the Eastern Star and of the Daughters of the American Revolution - Kinnikinnik Chapter, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Virginia met the love of her life, Carl O. Yates, shortly after moving to Kansas City. They were married on February 8, 1945 in Pueblo, Colorado and were devoted to each other until Carl?s death on June 13, 2001. Virginia was also preceded in death by her parents and by her nephew, Bruce Robert Darnes. She is survived by her brother, G. Robert Darnes of Wheaton, Illinois, as well as numerous other relatives, devoted students and friends. She will be dearly missed by all those into whose lives she brought loving inspiration and joy.
Memorial Services will be held on Friday March 23, 2007 at 2 p.m. at Village Presbyterian Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas 66208, the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, 7235 Antioch, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204, or the Attica First Christian Church, 102 North Logan, Attica, Kansas 67009.
Virginia was born September 27, 1917 at the Darnes Ranch near Attica, Kansas to Mason and Bonnie (Wolfe) Darnes. She graduated from Attica High School and obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg. Her teaching career began in a one-room school (Kerr) in Harper County, Kansas, followed by three years of teaching at the elementary level in Liberal, Kansas. In 1944, she was invited by her maternal Uncle, Warren T. Wolfe, to assist him in his commercial real estate business in Kansas City, Missouri. Following her Uncle?s death, Virginia began teaching in the Shawnee Mission School District, serving at Prairie Elementary School and Porter Elementary School, both in Prairie Village, Kansas, and at Highlands Elementary School in Mission, Kansas. In 1956 she obtained a Master of Arts Degree and Reading Specialist Degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and was subsequently hired to establish and serve as Director of the Reading Center at Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, Missouri.
During her teaching career, Virginia was active in numerous professional associations. She served as a Board Member of the International Reading Association as well as one of the first IRA Field Consultants for the International Reading Association. Virginia served as a contributing editor for several publishing houses, and also authored a book published by McGraw Hill entitled Listening and Note-Taking. Virginia was a member of Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. She was a member the Order of the Eastern Star and of the Daughters of the American Revolution - Kinnikinnik Chapter, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Virginia met the love of her life, Carl O. Yates, shortly after moving to Kansas City. They were married on February 8, 1945 in Pueblo, Colorado and were devoted to each other until Carl?s death on June 13, 2001. Virginia was also preceded in death by her parents and by her nephew, Bruce Robert Darnes. She is survived by her brother, G. Robert Darnes of Wheaton, Illinois, as well as numerous other relatives, devoted students and friends. She will be dearly missed by all those into whose lives she brought loving inspiration and joy.
Memorial Services will be held on Friday March 23, 2007 at 2 p.m. at Village Presbyterian Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas 66208, the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, 7235 Antioch, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204, or the Attica First Christian Church, 102 North Logan, Attica, Kansas 67009.
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