Virginia Poling

Virginia Dare Smith Poling, 101, died on July 19, 2013 at Ravenwood Nursing Care Center in Hagerstown, MD.

She was the daughter of the late Rev. Leander Smith and Mary Susan Wine Smith, born on December 31, 1911 in Nevada, Missouri.  As a part of a pastoral family she lived her early years in several western states. She graduated in 1932 from Albany College (now Lewis & Clark University) near Portland, Oregon. While employed in the denominational offices of the Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Illinois, she met and married Rev. Newton L. Poling on May 26, 1941.

Over the next forty years they served congregations of the Church of the Brethren in Stanardsville VA, Staunton VA, Brownsville MD, Woodbridge VA, Windber PA, Carlisle PA, and Fahrney-Keedy Memorial Home in Boonsboro MD.

Following retirement they did extensive genealogical research, visiting county courthouses, libraries and family reunions. Together they produced a number of monographs on family genealogy.

Virginia was an expert quilter, producing original works of art for the home. She taught classes on traditional quilt-making techniques and was a founding member of the Friendship Quilter’s Guild. Several quilt exhibits were held in her home, and the Guild grew from that beginning.

Virginia was a lifetime member of the Church of the Brethren and active in the Hagerstown congregation. Since 2005 she resided at Ravenwood Lutheran Village.

Virginia is survived by four children and their spouses: Dr. James & Nancy Poling of Black Mountain NC: Dr. Harry Emerson & Ann Poling of Winchester, VA; Rev. Edward and Marjorie Poling of Hagerstown MD; and Rebecca and Phil Karras of Mt. Airy MD; eight grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, three nieces and one nephew. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Newton, in 2002 and one sister, Esther Meyerding, in 1995.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 27 at 2:00 pm at the Hagerstown Church of the Brethren, 15 S. Mulberry Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Officiating ministers will be Revs. Edward Poling and Loyal Vanderveer.

A private burial was held in the Brownsville Heights Cemetery on July 22.

In lieu of flowers memorial gifts can be made to one of the following organizations: Hagerstown Church of the Brethren, or Heifer International, 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 82202.