Virginia Wynkoop "GiGi" Royer

Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend, Virginia passed into the gentle arms of her Heavenly Father on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, to be reunited with her husband of 68 years, Bruce, who preceded her in death in 2007. Visitation will be at the First United Methodist Church library on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. until services at 11 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Chris Andrews in the First United Methodist Aldrich Chapel. Entombment in Resthaven Gardens of Memory Mausoleum. Arrangements coordinated by Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St. Virginia Wynkoop Royer was born Jan. 27, 1916, in Waterloo, Iowa, and was reared in Morris, Ill. She met her lifelong sweetheart and husband-to-be in the third grade after Bruce's family moved to Morris from Canton, Ill. They dated throughout high school, where he was president and she vice president of their senior class. Bruce went on to Purdue University and Virginia to Illinois Wesleyan University, where she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Bruce and Virginia were married Feb. 4, 1939, in Morris. In 1958, the Royers moved to Baton Rouge. From that time on for as long as she was able, Virginia belonged to and worked in many organizations. She was a 50-year-plus member of First United Methodist Church, past president of United Methodist Women and co-leader of a Methodist Women's Circle for many years. She served on the board of managers of the Baton Rouge Woman's Club and was secretary for 6 years. Virginia was a member and past president of Chapter W, P.E.O. She also belonged to several social organizations including a 40-year membership in Les Liseuses Book Club of Baton Rouge. During the college years of her three daughters, she was active in the Mothers' Clubs of Chi Omega and Pi Beta Phi sororities. She was passionately involved with her large family and will be remembered by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as the most generous and fun-loving grandmother ever! She was their beloved "GiGi." Virginia is survived by three generations of family members who will always love her dearly and to whom she was devoted. Her three immediate descendent families are those of daughters Becky, Judy and Debby. Eldest daughter Becky Schade and husband Don, of Baton Rouge, and granddaughter, Shelley Harvey and husband John, of Fort Worth, Texas, with great-grandchildren, Laura, Benjamin and Blake; granddaughter, Ashlyn Simon and husband Robert, of Keller, Texas, with great-grandchildren, Brittany, Michael Donovan and Jacquelyn; granddaughter, Loren Stubbeman and husband Mark, of Leander, Texas, with great-grandchildren, Kyle and Kate; and granddaughter, Paula Holt, of Dallas, with great-grandchildren, Samantha and Zachary; middle daughter, Judy Wilkinson, of Lafayette, and granddaughter, Virginia Wilkinson, of Chicago; grandson, Horace Wilkinson V and wife Katherine, of Denham Springs, with great-grandchildren, Grant and Grace; youngest daughter, Debby Landry, of Jonesboro, Ark., grandson, Robert Landry Jr., and wife Aimeé, of Slidell, with great-grandchildren, Ryan and Olivia; granddaughter, Amy Fulkerson and husband Brian, of Jonesboro, with great-grandchildren, Mya and Bobbi Marie, and granddaughter, Laura Bresee and husband Phineas, of Memphis, Tenn., with great-grandson, Quinn. Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce Anderson Royer; parents, Lloyd E. and Hazel Hunter Wynkoop; sister, Beverly Robinson and brother-in-law Bob; and sons-in-law, Dr. Robert J. Landry and Horace Wilkinson IV. She is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, other members of extended family and friends. We are forever grateful to her caregivers, Teresa Zion, Lynne Manoley and Raffie Barr, who cared for GiGi the last several months of her life; and to Jane and Dick Lange, owners of TLC Homecare. Virginia's family also thanks the caring staff of The Carpenter House. Pallbearers will be Donald Schade, Robert Landry Jr., Horace Wilkinson V, Mark Stubbeman, Brian Fulkerson, Phineas Bresee, Robert Simon and Jeremy Pierce Cinman. Honorary pallbearers are John Harvey Jr., Dr. Dennis Ehrhardt, Bruce Austin Robinson, Robert Weber and Richard Eggman. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to either First United Methodist Church "The Future is Now" fund, 930 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70802 or your favorite charity.