Virginia Josephine (Parkert) Colhouer, 95, formerly of Hooper, Hildreth, Ralston, and Newman Grove, died on Monday, January 22, 2018, at the Woodcrest at Blakeford Rehabilitation Center in Nashville, TN, where she had been recovering from a broken leg suffered in December at her current home in Murfreesboro, TN.

Virginia was born on the family farm in Hooper on November 11, 1922, to parents George and Josephine (Bradbury) Parkert. She was a student at Hooper Elementary and Hooper High School, where she enjoyed singing, playing the piano, ballet and social dancing, acting in school plays, and cheerleading, and graduated in 1940 as a member of the honor society.
Virginia also attended Doane College in Crete, graduating in 1944 with a Bachelor's degree, and spent her first summer after college giving dance lessons on the family farm. She eventually became a public school teacher, teaching English and vocal music for over 10 years in Hildreth, Papillion, Newman Grove, and Humphrey, and continued to privately tutor students on the piano for many years after her retirement.

In early 1948, Virginia met James LeRoy Colhouer Jr., of Lebanon, KS, at a dance in the NCO Club at Kearney Air Force Base. They were married in Hooper on September 11, 1949, and had one son, Robert Lee Colhouer, of Fremont, while living at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Texas.

Her faith was very important to her, and Virginia was a member of the Fellowship Bible Church of Newman Grove for many years, where she played the piano and organ. She was also a member of Friendship Chapter No. 122 Order of the Eastern Star in Hooper, and the Nebraska P.E.O. Sisterhood.

In addition to her lifelong love of music and dance, Virginia was a prolific letter writer, and enjoyed spending vacations with family and friends in their camper, especially summers in Rocky Mountain National Park. She loved challenging herself with crossword puzzles, cryptograms, and sudoku, as well as playing bridge, cribbage, and gin. She also enjoyed counted cross stitch and watching gameshows and football.

Survivors include: her son, Robert Lee Colhouer, and friend Vickie Welty, of Fremont; her stepson, James LeRoy Colhouer III, and wife Flo, of Kennett, MO; her nephew, Alan Kamrath, and wife Mary, of Lincoln; her four grandchildren, Cory James Colhouer and Jennifer Leigh Shimkus, of Murfreesboro, TN; Laura Colhouer-Chand, and husband Riz Chand, of Dallas, TX; and John Colhouer, of St. Louis, MO; and her three great grandchildren, Noah James Shimkus and Izabella Rae Shimkus, of Murfreesboro, TN; and Alia Chand, of Dallas, TX.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and older sister, Georgean (Parkert) Kamrath Cordes, formerly of Cawker City, KS and Kearney.

A memorial service and interment of ashes will be held at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell at a later date. There is no visitation. Please visit www.duganchapel.com to leave an online condolence and contact information for notification once the memorial service has been scheduled.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in her name to:

]Newman Grove Public Schools
Attn: Superintendent Mikal Shalikow
P.O. Box 370
Newman Grove, NE 68758

We have asked that donated funds be designated for music enrichment opportunities.