Virginia Jean Reindahl was born March 26, 1936, she was the second of three daughters, Joan, Virginia, and Joyce to musicians George and Alice Vuylesteke in Sidney, MT. The family moved to Billings, MT when she was young, where she attended grade school. Around the age of 13, they moved again this time to Story, WY. She was sure it was the end of the earth because the first winter there it snowed 5 plus feet in the spring. She graduated from SHS in 1954 and then married the love of her life Kent Reindahl June 19, 1954, making their home in Story until 2002 which equaled 48 years. They had 4 children; Debbie, Jim, Smoky, and Cathy, raising them in Story and surviving their teenage years. (We were a handful).

As a child, she worked at the Piney Inn Dude Ranch cleaning cabins or hanging out at the stables with the cute cowboys. She always, until her dying days, had a soft spot for the Cowboys, who taught her to roll a cigarette with one hand. She was a waitress at Tunnel Inn for Artie and Florence, cooked at Lodore there was responsible for putting out a chuckwagon dinner for 600 people for Doc and Marie, and cooked at Seney Point (Lake Desmet Marina) we loved that we got to go and run wild out there and swim in the pool all day, play on the dock, fish, it was great! Cooking for Wagon Box for Mary Gagliardi under the cook, Uncle Ed, before becoming a head cook. She became quite famous for her Prime Rib not to mention the rest of the menu. After her cooking career, she became a realtor for Hugh T. Byrd, until he retired, bought his business, and became a broker under the name T-Byrd Realty.

When Kent retired, they enjoyed traveling in a motorhome with friends, meeting new friends, enjoying the grandkids, and jam sessions mom was the audience only thing she could play well was the radio, although dad gave her a tambourine so she felt she was a contribution to the music and she couldn’t play that either but she did it anyway because that’s the way it was and she loved to argue.

In her lifetime she was always volunteering for everything to help at school, a member of PTO, Woman’s Club, and Sorority volunteering a lot, served, and quilted, she and her sister Joyce got to gather a lot to quilt, loved to go gambling and talking to people.

After Kent died she moved to Sheridan assisted living to nursing homes to Green House Living for Sheridan. We would like to thank those who were so compassionate and caring to her at GreenHouse.

Virginia is survived by her 4 children; Cathy (Curt) Niner of Sheridan, Smoky Schroeder of Story, Jim Reindahl of Story, Debbie Matteson of Sheridan, her sister; Joyce (Gordon) Bruce of Helena, MT, 8 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her sister, Joan Gountanis.

Virginia will be cremated and buried with Kent at Quiet Rest Cemetery, near Story. A private celebration and burial will be held in the spring.

Mom,

In life we loved you dearly,

In death, we love you still.

In our hearts, you hold a place

No one else will ever fill.

Love you forever,

Smoky, Cathy, Jim, and Deb Champion Funeral Home has been entrusted with local arrangements. Online condolences may be written at www.champiofh.com.

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