Virginia Testut (Poynter)

Virginia Testut (Poynter) was born in El Dorado, Kansas on St. Patrick’s Day, 1920. She succumbed to pneumonia on June 15, 2015 at age 95.
She grew up with four siblings, a banker- bank examiner- lawyer- farmer-poet dad, and a piano teacher- homemaker mom. She skipped fourth grade so she could be in class with her brother Johnnie. They both graduated from the University of Missouri in 1941. For three years she taught second and third grades in Sikeston, Missouri and Topeka, Kansas. In 1944 she married Dick Poynter, a captain in the Army and after the war a successful banker. They were married 53 years before he passed.
Virginia was a very dedicated mom to Rich and Susan. She enjoyed being a home room mother, Brownie/Girl Scout leader, den mother, and PEO member. She baked, read biographies, embroidered, knitted, and made jelly.
She was especially devoted to her family. She visited her mother after the house emptied every morning. Dinner was always ready at 6:00. If she worked hard at preparing dinner and no one commented she would say, “Virginia, that’s delicious.” When Rich attended Rincon High in Tucson and school started at 6:00 am (double shifts), she routinely fixed fried eggs, toast and bacon for him. She took care of Dick the last 10 years of his life when he had chemotherapy for lymphocytic leukemia.
Her grandkids loved Nana toast, not because it tasted so much better, although it did, but because they watched her carefully spread butter and jam into every corner. One day she made an angel food cake in the garage so she wouldn’t awaken one of the grandkids. A thank you note followed every gift.
She leaves a legacy of selfless giving to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.