VIRGINIA A. BURHANNA
GENEVA -- Virginia A. Burhanna, age 93, of Geneva, Ohio,
died Monday, January 16, 2006, at UHHS Memorial
Hospital of Geneva.
Born April 5, 1912 in Cleveland,
she was a daughter of the late Kenneth G. and Grace (Cramblett)
Perry.
She began her education in a one-room school house in North Perry, Ohio. On
January 25, 1925, she came to Geneva
to live with her Aunt and Uncle, Agnes (Perry) and Gordon B. Allen, after her
mother's death. She was adopted by the Allens.
As a teenager, she joined the Geneva First United
Methodist Church
and graduated from Geneva
High School in 1930.
In spite of the "Depression", she went to work the next day at
Turner's Restaurant. In 1931, she was asked by a
friend to take the job of Society Editor at the Geneva Free Press where she
worked for eight years. She met her husband of 60
years, Carl H. Burhanna, who was a solicitor for the
paper. They were married on April 9, 1939 in Geneva.
She became active in the social life of the town and in 1938 was President of
the Geneva Business Professional Women's Club. Later
she served as a two-year president of Platt R. Spencer P.T.A.,
where her son, Robert, attended school in East Geneva. Concerned about the education and activities of children,
she volunteered to be a Spencer Club Scout Den Mother for two years. She was also a member of Geneva's Girl Scout Board, a member of the Rebekah Lodge, Republican Club, Spencer Study Club, North
Star Grange and Methodist Women's Society and afternoon circles. She served as Secretary and Publicity Chairman for ten
years. She was a charter member of the WSCS. She did publicity for the
North Coast District PTA and the County Council.
In the 1950's, she wrote a column for the Geneva
paper covering North Geneva and
Geneva-on-the-Lake news. She was on assignment for
special stories. She enjoyed the Cleveland Indians,
the Olympics, and Triple-Crown horse races on TV.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Susan Burhanna of Geneva;
three grandsons, Kenneth (Taryn) Burhanna
of Kent, Ohio, Douglas (Amy) Burhanna of Cape May
Court House, New Jersey, and Marcus (Eileen) Burhanna
of New Carlisle, Ohio; six great-grandchildren, Jordan, Reilly, Casey,
Isabella, Abe, and Noah; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl H. Burhanna in 1999; her parents, Kenneth G. and Grace (Cramblett) Perry; aunt and uncle, Agnes (Perry) and Gordon
B. Allen; and a sister, Margaret Burhanna.
Funeral
Service will be 7 p.m. on Friday, January 20, 2006, at THE BEHM
FAMILY FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, 175 South Broadway, Geneva, Ohio, with
Reverend John Gross, of Geneva First United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Perry
Cemetery, Center and Middle Ridge
Roads, Perry, Ohio.
Visitation
will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday at the Funeral
Home.
Contributions
may be made to Geneva First United
Methodist Church,
89 South Broadway, Geneva,
Ohio 44041.