Virginia Pettit

Virginia (Garman) Pettit, 84, of Hueytown, Alabama, died on Friday, July 14, 2023, at Self Care Health & Rehab, Hueytown, Alabama.

Virginia was born on Aug. 9, 1938, on her parent's farm north of Burr Oak, Kansas, the daughter of Robert and Helen (Miller) Garman. She spent her earlier years playing and working on the farm with her brothers and sisters: Jean, Robert, Daniel and Sandra. Her cherished memory was getting to go to the wheat fields to ride on the tractor with her dad when she was little. A couple of her fondest memories with her siblings growing up was listening to the Grand Ol' Opry show on a battery-operated radio, playing Andy, Andy Over and on Saturday nights the whole family would load up in the car and drive into Guide Rock, Nebraska, to go to the dances.

She attended and graduated from Burr Oak High School in 1956.

Her pride and joy were her three sons and a daughter: Robert, Douglas, Janet, and Steven she was blessed with through the years. Along with becoming a grandma of seven grandchildren: Lindsey, Lexis, Stephanie, Samantha, Wyatt, and Joshua; she had nine great-grandchildren:Eloise, Jayden, Annalise, Jo, Grayson, ZaRiyah, Cobe, Connor, and Liam.

On Oct. 3, 1987, she married her childhood playmate, David Pettit, who lived right up the road when they were growing up.

Always an entrepreneur at heart, through the years, Virginia owned and operated four restaurants and an antique store in Nebraska and Kansas. She often joked she and Dave retired and moved back to Mankato, and retirement only lasted a few months. She saw Bob's Inn in Mankato had closed. She purchased it and came out of retirement to operate it. In 2007, Virginia and Dave sold Bob's Inn and finally retired for the final time. Never to let the grass grow under her feet, she would take orders and bake kolaches from her home during retirement. She also wrote and published her own cookbook during retirement.

Virginia loved her dog, Twiggy, and she enjoyed having people come over and play cards, fishing, reading, cooking and word puzzle books.

Virginia loved Jesus and attended various churches through the years. As a little girl of eight, her aunt and uncle who were missionaries came to visit. They took her to a tent revival meeting. A day that changed her life forever, as she walked down the aisle to the Old Rugged Cross being sung. She asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.

Survivors include: children, Robert Burns of Acworth, Georgia; Douglas (Trudy) Burns of McPherson, Kansas; Janet (Ed) Cox of St. Marys, Georgia; and Steven (Gwen) Burns of Fayetteville, North Carolina; grandchildren, Lindsey Roman of Palm Coast, Florida; Stephanie Burns, Samantha Burns of Villa Rica, Georgia; Lexis Hadley of Franklin, Tennessee; Wyatt Burns of Dallas, Georgia; Joshua Tessen, of Kansas City, Kansas; great-grandchildren, Eloise, Annalise, and Jo, Palm Coast, Florida; Jadan, Villa Rica, Georgia; Grayson, Franklin, Tennessee; ZaRiyah, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Cobe, Connor, and Liam, Kansas City Kansas; sister-in-law, Hazel Garman, Guide Rock; brother-in-law, Jon Adams, Saint Paul, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews of her siblings.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and her four siblings.

Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m,, today (Thursday), July 20, at Melby Mortuary, Mankato.

Her funeral is at 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 21, 2023, at Harmony United Methodist Church, Mankato, with Pastor Jim Rice officiating. Burial will follow at Shaffer Cemetery, rural Mankato.

Memorial donations can be made to Harmony United Methodist Church in care of the funeral home. For online condolences, please visit http://www.melby mortuary.com. Melby Mortuary, 402 N. High, PO Box 384, Mankato, Kansas 66956.