Virgil M. Adrian

Virgil M. Adrian, age 92, of Savanna, Illinois, died Sunday, June 11, 2006 at his home. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 14 at the New Hope Assembly of God Church, Savanna with Interim Pastor Gary Abney officiating. Burial with full Military Rites accorded by the Savanna VFW#2223, will be in the Lost Mound Cemetery, rural Hanover, Illinois. Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 13 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home, Savanna. Virgil was born December 30, 1913 in Cassville, Wisconsin, the son of Nicholas and Rose (Kelly) Adrian. He served in the United States Marine Corp during WWII. Virgil saw action at Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Saipan, Marianas Islands and during the occupation of Japan. He was a Purple Heart recipient. Virgil married Mary Castro – Rubio on January 26, 1962.Virgil was born on a canning farm. As he grew up, he worked with his family at the farm. He attended the Groom Country School. He broke and trained horses and helped his mom cook for all the farm hands. Virgil later traveled the west doing a variety of jobs during the “Great Depression” in the 1930s. He worked as a carman and a wrecker cook for the Milwaukee Railroad for thirty-five years until his retirement. Virgil was a lifetime member of the Savanna VFW #2223, a former VFW Commander and former VFW Chaplain. He enjoyed gardening, fishing, playing cards, growing holly hocks, cooking and camping. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.Virgil will be dearly missed by his wife, Mary Cecilia Adrian of Savanna; six daughters, Virginia (Henry) Winter of Freeport, Illinois, Tammie Sipes (Tim Guenzler) of Savanna, Stacey (Richard) Morris of Peotone, Illinois, Susan (John) McCloy of De Witt, Iowa, Janice Tatar (Larry Rhea) of Freeport, Illinois and Toni Kinnaman of Sterling, Illinois; four sons, Raul (Christina) Rubio of Rock Island, Illinois, Martin (JoAnn) Rubio of Savanna, John (Kelli) Rubio of Davenport, Iowa and James Adrian of Loves Park, Illinois; thirty-four grandchildren; twenty great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; four sisters, Eileen Brinkman, Carol (Bob) Vogt and Lois (Julius) Wiest, all of Cassville, Wisconsin and Violet Nickel of Lancaster, Wisconsin; and one brother, Alan (Pat) Adrian of Tewksbury, Massachusetts.Virgil is preceded in death by a daughter, Vickie McCune; two brothers, Harry and Francis; and four sisters, Vera Adrian, Margaret Bollinger, Leona Sweeney and Geniva Jack.