Virginia Secrest
Wood River |
Virginia L. Secrest, 90, passed away at 12:28 p.m. Monday, August 20, 2018 at Rosewood Care Center in Edwardsville.
Born March 22, 1928 in Mitchell, IL, she was a daughter of Herbert J. and Vesta E. (Waggoner) Harshbarger.
She married Albert Seymore in 1946. He passed away in 1948. She later married Alfred Nagel in 1953, and they divorced in 1970. She married Kenneth Secrest in 1976. He passed away in 2002.
Virginia worked as a clerk/typist for the Granite City Army Depot for 22 years. After retirement Virginia dedicated herself to honoring veterans of the armed forces. She led efforts to place flags on veteran's graves in Upper Alton Cemetery. The hallmarks of her work are the flagpole seen along the Homer Adams Parkway and the establishment of the Avenue of Flags flown every Memorial Day.
She is survived by three sons, Paul (Mary) Nagel of St. Louis, David (Terrie) Nagel of Columbia, MO, and John (Kim Moore) Nagel of Valley Park, MO; 13 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren; and two daughters-in-law, Rebecca Nagel and Renee Nagel.
In addition to her husbands and parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Linda Seymore; two sons, Terry and Gary Nagel; her stepson Wayne Allen Secrest and stepdaughter Janis Johnson; three sisters and four brothers.
Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24 at Paynic Home for Funerals.
Father Donald Wolford will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25 at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Wood River.
Burial will follow at Upper Alton Cemetery in Alton.
Memorials may be made to the Avenue of Flags Fund, in care of Cornerstone Bank in Alton.
Online guestbook and information available at www.paynicfh.com
Paynic Home for Funerals
