Virginia Lee Warren

Virginia Lee Warren

Virginia Lee Warren, age 79, of Independence, Mo., passed away May 8, 2022, at The Villages of Jackson Creek Memory Care. She was born Dec. 13, 1942, in Mapleton, Kan., to Dorothy (Schmitz) Chapman and James Chapman. She grew up in Fort Scott, Kan., graduating from Fort Scott High School in 1960 and always considered Fort Scott her “home.”

Virginia spent much of her childhood battling polio she contracted at 18 months old, undergoing numerous surgeries and treatments at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She learned to walk using a built-up shoe and braces and never let it slow her down. She was named Queen of Dimes at Fort Scott High School working to raise money for the March of Dimes. After graduation, she worked primarily as a keypunch operator and data entry clerk at Western Electric/AT&T until taking her retirement in 2000. After retiring, she enjoyed volunteering at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, her weekly grocery/shopping trips with her sister and Friday morning breakfasts with any family member who could join in. She was notorious for not being able to pass up a deal at Cargo Largo and was quick to tell you about her latest find. She also took pride in her large video collection, especially her vast library of John Wayne movies (her absolute favorite) and could always let you know when the John Wayne marathons were playing on television. She was also excited to finally go see “The Faces” of Mount Rushmore, the mountains of Colorado, and the lights of Las Vegas.

She is survived by her three children and their spouses, David (Laura) Warren of Blue Springs, Jerry (Sue) Warren of Independence and Jonell (Carter) Craig of Blue Springs, four grandchildren, Trevor Warren, Alyssa Warren, Sawyer Warren, and Ashton Warren and three great-grandchildren. Surviving siblings are Frances Richey (Independence), James (Elizabeth) Chapman (Independence), Paula Graham (Kansas City), Emmett (Doylene) Chapman (Fort Scott) and Joe Chapman (Independence). She will also be missed by many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents James and Dorothy Chapman, brother, Paul Chapman, and brother-in-law Ricky Graham.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. with service to follow at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 1200 S.W. Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit, Mo. Graveside service and burial will take place Thursday, May 12 at 11 a.m., at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Fort Scott, Kan. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made in Virginia’s name to The Alzheimer’s Society, The MS Society, or a charity of your choice, and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.