Mary Virginia Heinrich

Mary V. Heinrich, 94, of Wood River died Friday, November 1, 2019 at the Good Samaritan Society in Grand Island. Funeral services will be at 10:30 am Monday, November 4, 2019 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wood River. The Rev. Jorge Canela will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery west of Wood River.

Visitation will be from 3 to 5 pm on Sunday, Nov. 3rd at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, concluding with a 5 pm rosary.

Apfel Funeral Home of Wood River is serving the family.

Memorials are suggested to St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Wood River Community Foundation.

Mary Virginia Heinrich was born October 14,1925 in Callaway, NE to Henry and Arminian

(Poston) Ridder, she was the youngest of eight children. She attended rural Custer County

Grade School and graduated from Callaway High School, in 1943. Virginia started her twelve

year career at the Bell Telephone System, starting in Long Beach, CA; then transferred to

Nebraska to work for the Kearney, Holdrege, Grand Island, and Fremont offices. She resigned

and married Calvin F Heinrich of Wood River, NE in 1955. Calvin and Virginia farmed in the

Wood River area and had 5 children. Virginia moved to senior living apartments in Grand Island,

NE in 2015.

Virginia was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church. She was an active member of the

Council of Catholic Women and taught catechism classes for 12 years. She was a 4-H leader,

serving on the Hall County Extension Board, and a member of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Virginia also worked hospice and was a volunteer for the St Francis Hospital Oncology

Department. She enjoyed traveling, playing golf, and cards (especially bridge and pitch).

Virginia also enjoyed researching family history and has written several family books for the

Ridder, Heinrich, Praest, Halbmaier and Schifferns families. She discovered many new family

members during her research into the family genealogy.

Virginia’s family would like to thank all of the health care, hospice, and senior care professionals

that were involved in her care.

Family members left to cherish her memory include: daughter and son-in-law, Joyce and John

Willoughby of Wood River, grandchildren: Megan and Bryce Consbruck of Wood River, Amber

Willoughby of Omaha, Taylor and Luke Glenn of Kearney, and Johnna Willoughby of Wood

River. Special family members include Kevin Placzek and Daniel and Julie Meyers.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Calvin Heinrich; daughters, Theresa Placzek, Rita

Meyers and Nancy Heinrich; son Francis Heinrich; brothers Theodore, Neal, Francis, Donald,

and James Ridder; sister, Edna Van Saun; granddaughter, Danielle Willoughby and Elizabeth

Meyers and grandson, Joshua Placzek.

Online condolences maybe directed to the family at www.apfelfuneralhome.com