Virginia Lee (Hins) Baltzer and her husband Thomas Emanuel Baltzer were both born in Wessington Springs, South Dakota. Virginia was born to Leo and Elva Hins on November 11, 1935 and passed away on December 26, 2023. Thomas was born to Emanuel and Bertha (Redman) Baltzer on May 22, 1932 and passed away on December 28, 2023.
In high school, Virginia was involved in music and drama and received the Orion award for vocal and instrumental music. Her family attended Ebenezer Baptist church until moving to town and attending the Congregational church. She worked at the Independent newspaper and K & K dept. store as bookkeeper.
Thomas was the last of eleven children, growing up on a farm in Alpena. In his last year of high school, he worked in the café at Alpena for room and board and $4 a week. Then on farms and the meat packing plant at Huron, and as a plumber’s helper, before joining the Navy and spending 4 years going to Japan 5 different times.
Thomas and Virginia wed on September 12, 1954, living in San Diego, CA where he was stationed and she worked at Bank of America. After Thomas was discharged in 1955, they returned to South Dakota where Thomas attended USD in Vermillion. In 1957 they returned to California where he worked as a draftsman for Douglas Aircraft, and where four children were born: Perry, Toby, Mona and Dana.
In 1959 Thomas worked for the city of Los Angeles as a Fireman, eventually promoted to Engineer of the Fire Dept. Virginia was very involved with her children’s activities. When they grew older she worked at various Federal jobs, retiring from the IRS in 1989. Thomas also retired in 1989, and they moved to Yucaipa, CA, closer to their grandchildren.
After five years they rented out the house and moved into a motorhome, traveling all 50 states and Alaska. In the last four years they have resided in a granny flat on their sons’ property. They are survived by sons Perry, Toby, and Dana, and Daughter Mona and her husband Greg Clark. Also by grandsons Adam and Christopher Baltzer, Adam’s wife Maria and g reat-g randchildren Brianna and Ryan.
