Willie "Ginny" Virginia Strawn

Willie Virginia “Ginny” Strawn was born December 13, 1952, in Stayton, Oregon, to Thurman and Jeanette (Grover) Swain. The family lived in Oregon and California, where Thurman worked on cars in Hollywoood for some of the movie stars of the day. One star even gave him a limousine.  Willie, also known as “Ginny”, was introduced to a man on her parents bowling league. The couple began dating and on December 17, 1982, Ginny married Lawrence Edward Strawn. While living in the LaPine area, Lawrence and Ginny became parents to a son, Jared. The family enjoyed doing things out doors in the central Oregon area. One of their favorite places was the White Fish Hole where they would fish, camp, and hunt.  In 1985, the family moved to the Colton area and there the family grew by another son and daughter, Angela and Michale. Ginny was a homemaker and loved her kids, and anyone else’s kids for that matter, and she spent a lot of time taking them on outings. Those adventures included trips to see grandparents and riding the train at the coast. Ginny also served as troop leader to the kids’ co-ed Blue Bird group. As a family they still made trips to the LaPine area and continued to hunt, fish, and camp, for a few years, but eventually began staying in the valley rather than travelling east for trips. Ginny loved all animals and the family had plenty of them on their land, including pigs, goats, cats, dogs, a pot-bellied pig in the house, and a pet skunk to name a few. No matter where she lived, Ginny always at least had cats and dogs.  After Lawrence passed away on February 21, 2003, Ginny remained at their home in Colton until 2006 when she moved to the Salem area. She enjoyed all types of crafts including painting, creating doll furniture, and woodworking. Ginny collected porcelain dolls and had over 100 of them. Ginny was kind, loving, and easygoing and would forgive anyone for anything, even to her detriment at times. But that was who she was, always putting others before herself. And she absolutely loved her grandkids and would give them all she had and even more. Spending time with and spoiling the grandkids is what she lived for. She will be greatly missed by her loved ones she leaves behind.  Ginny was preceded in death by her husband Lawrence, her parents, and her brothers Thurman and Brian. She is survived by her children Jared Strawn, Angela (Justin) Wendell, and Michale (Mackenzie) Strawn; siblings Valerie Coleman, Joanne (James) Elskamp, Patricia Swain, Debbie (Joe) Cavazos, Brenda Bravo, Linda (Ron) Taverne, and David Swain; grandchildren Jamie, Chelsea, Cameron, Rileigh, Kylie, Aaliyah, and Rachel.