First United
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Virginia Bunning
The Rev. Virginia Lee (Knowlton) Bunning died at the age of 74 on 9/5/22. Memorial service was held 11am Saturday, 9/24/22,
at First United Presbyterian Church in Loveland.
Virginia Bunning, 9/1/22, “My hands are cold my heart warm”
The Rev. Virginia Lee (Knowlton) Bunning died at the age of 74 on September 5th, 2022. Virginia was born in Torrington, Wyoming on September 14, 1947, to Jay and Betty Jean Knowlton who were farmers in Goshen County. She was the second of six children. She attended school first in Veteran where she started playing the flute in third grade and enjoyed playing it ever since. She graduated from Lingle High School, attended what is now Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, and graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in biology education. She attended Dubuque Theological Seminary for one year where she met her husband, Fred Bunning.
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Virginia taught school in Chugwater, Wyoming for one semester, and she and Fred got married during the Sunday morning worship on December 20, 1970, at the Community Presbyterian Church in Lingle, Wyoming. They moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania where Fred pastored, and their son Joel Chris was born. From there they moved to Oregon, Illinois where their daughter Jaylyn Joy was born. While there Virginia started back at seminary, and shortly after she moved with her family to Lancaster, Wisconsin.
After graduation she was ordained on February 28, 1982. She joined Fred in co-pastoring the Lancaster church and two small churches in the country outside of Rewey, Wisconsin. They then moved to Masonville, Colorado and co-pastored for 4 years before moving to Loveland, Colorado.
Virginia and Fred then decided to become “tentmaking” pastors who have other employment with their ministry being both in the church and in their place of employment. Virginia worked in Thompson Valley Schools for sixteen years. She was a paraprofessional with behaviorally challenged elementary students, a building aide helping teachers, a technologist assisting with computer use and troubleshooting, and a nurse office aide. While there she co-pastored with Fred at Weldon Valley Presbyterian Church, then left after two years to direct camps for the Presbytery of Wyoming. She then went into Interim Ministry and pastored in Dalton, Nebraska with one Presbyterian and three Lutheran churches. She also had interims inMilliken, Timnath and Otis, Colorado, and served as Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Plains and Peaks for four years.
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She then retired and spent much of her early retirement time reading, playing computer games, walking, and riding their recumbent trike. Virginia also enjoyed gardening, creating a yard that in her words “is an oasis that cheers the people who walk by. It is now the gift from God I give to others in our neighborhood.” She additionally nourished her soul communing with many friends through book groups and other gatherings, as well as at the LaPorte Presbyterian Church in Laporte, Colorado and the First United Presbyterian Church in Loveland.
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Virginia was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Peter Knowlton (Kim). She is survived by her husband Fred and their children Joel of Loveland and Jaylyn (Steven) of Denver, Colorado, as well as by her siblings all living in Wyoming: sisters DeeDee Anderson (Larry) of Worland and Becky Curless (John) of Torrington, and her brothers Warren (Amy) of Torrington and Rich (Darla) of Torrington. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. After living with ALS for the last part of her life, it’s a gift that Virginia had previously decided to donate her body to science for research. A memorial service will be held 11am Saturday, September 24th at First United Presbyterian Church in Loveland, with a luncheon to follow. Her life was good. Thanks be to God!
Condolences may be sent to:
Rev. Fred Bunning
1035 20th Street SW
Loveland, CO 80537
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Virginia's memory to the PC(USA) Board of Pensions Assistance Program or the ALS Association Rocky Mountain Chapter.
Nell Worall
Nell Adams Worrall died at her home in Loveland, Colorado surrounded by family on her 95th birthday, September 12, 2022. A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 AM October 8 at the First United Presbyterian Church in Loveland.
Nell was born in Chattanooga, TN, the daughter of the late Walter Strong Adams, Jr. and the late Catherine Inez Adams. She attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga until her marriage on July 19, 1947 to Robert Paul Worrall. Nell is best characterized as an adventurer. She and Robert led her family to new beginnings in several states and included a life-changing assignment in India. She was a lifelong advocate of civil rights, a champion of women’s issues, an early disciple of environmentalism, an avid believer in the power of volunteerism and she worked tirelessly to illustrate to others the importance of practicing Christian principles in daily life. Nell raised 5 children and helped raise many of her children’s friends who, even as adults, refer to her as Momma Nell. She frequently could be heard telling others that it is simple to join her family but difficult to exit.
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Following her graduation with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, Nell helped establish the Hospice of Northern Virginia where she worked until she and her husband relocated to Round Hill, VA. She previously served as a contributing editor of Women’s Circle Magazine in New Delhi, India, was a docent at the Honolulu Zoo, was actively involved in operations of thrift stores in Honolulu, HI and Leesburg, VA and performed many outreach services for all the churches in each of the communities in which she lived. While in India she assisted in the creation of a service offered to expatriate employers which facilitated employment assistance and medical care for employees.
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Nell is survived by her son Rob (Michele) of Arvada, CO, son David (Jan) of Vernon, Tx, son Stephen (Nan) of Loveland, CO and son Jim (Bonnie) of Boulder, CO. Also surviving are ten grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. Nell was preceded in death by her husband, daughter, Mary Aletha Worrall, sister Anna Gray Johnson and brother Walter Strong Adams III.
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Memorials may be made to:
The United Negro College Fund
American Indian College Fund
First United Presbyterian Church