Virginia Feigum

Virginia Feigum, 86, passed away peacefully Monday, Dec. 15, with family at her side in the Meritcare Palliative Care Unit, Fargo. Virginia Ann Smith was born to John Arthur and Ethel Mae (Forman) Smith on July 30, 1922 in Bismarck, ND. Her family lived in Burnstead, ND. for over 20 years where her father ran a post office, drug store and ice cream shop. They resided in Bismarck for a short while where John had a gas station and Virginia attended St. Mary's High School. In 1937, her family moved to Napoleon, N.D. where her father operated a bar until he retired. She graduated from Napoleon High School in 1940. On Feb. 5, 1943 she married Jim Feigum, also from Napoleon. After being stationed out of state during Jim's military service during WWII, Jim attended mortuary school in Kansas City, Missouri and apprenticed in Wishek, N.D. After completing the apprenticeship, they returned to Napoleon, and Jim operated Feigum-Doerr Funeral Home with his partner, Al Doerr. Jim was called into active service for the Korean Conflict as a Lt. in the N.D. National Guard while Virginia and the children, Tom and Gayle, remained in Napoleon. In 1956, Jim and Virginia moved to Fargo with their growing family, which now included Scott, Tom and Gayle. Jim and a partner purchased Olson Casket Company and operated it as FM Casket Company. In 1979, when son Bill joined the company, it was renamed J&B Casket. Jim and Ginny lived in Fargo and wintered in San Clemente, CA until Jim's death in 1998. She continued to live in their Fargo home and winter in Los Angeles with Gayle until she moved into Bethany Homes in 2006. Virginia was a member of St. Anthony's Parish after moving to Fargo, then of the Church of the Nativity for more than 40 years. Ginny greatly enjoyed her friends in bridge club, her pinochle group, dance clubs, the Fargo Country Club and at Pelican Lake. Virginia is survived by her four children; Tom (Trudy), Hartfield, VA, Gayle (Steve) Lund, Los Angeles Scott (Sabrina), and Bill (Diane) both of Fargo; six grandchildren, Craig (Michelle) & Christopher (Paula) Feigum, Kristin & Jeff Lund, Keenan & Casey Feigum; and two great-grandsons, Cody and Chase Feigum. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim and sister Doris (Hollis) Sheldon.