Virginia Vanderpool

1920 - 2019

STATE ROAD — Virginia Vanderpool, known to her friends as Bliss, 98, of State Road, died May 2, 2019, in the Chatham Nursing Home. She was born July 23, 1920, in Providence, North Carolina, to Lottie and James Fowlkes, spending her childhood and school years in Danville, Virginia. She excelled as a student receiving a scholarship to college. She got her teacher's degree from Farmville State Teacher's College, now known as Longwood University, in Farmville, Virginia. She taught in Bassett, Virginia, schools before joining the Waves in WW II. She was stationed in a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, assisting soldiers suffering from post-traumatic syndrome then called Shell Shock. Following the war, she met her future husband, William S. Vanderpool, at Duke University while pursuing a Master's degree in English. They were later married on Nov. 5, 1948. She taught for 15 years in the Grinnell-Newberg School System, retiring in 1974 and moving to Boone, North Carolina where Bill, her husband, taught at ASU. In Boone, she opened the antique shop, Mrs. Haversham's, and later joined with her beloved sister Marie managing booths at the Wild Cat Flea Market. Bliss also was an avid writer and wrote short stories for which she received recognition. She wrote a column that appeared in the Elkin Tribune under the title Just Spookin'. Following the death of her husband, she moved to Elkin in 2000 where she shared a home with her daughter. She was active in the community and particularly enjoyed her Sunday School class at the Elkin First Methodist Church. Proceeding her in death was her husband of 51 years, William S. Vanderpool, and a son James David and her sister Marie. Kelly. Survivors include her daughter, Carol Vanderpool of the home, her son, William Vanderpool (Jennifer). Grandchildren include Ashley (Brad), Alli, David, all of Iowa, and great-grandchildren Mollie, Vander, Beau, and Vivienne. Special friends include Joan and William Sanders, Jessica Luffman, Liz Bacon, and Garland Roebuck. Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 10, at 2 p.m. at the First Methodist Church in Elkin. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Methodist Church of Elkin Window Fund. Johnson Funeral Home of Elkin is serving the Vanderpool family.