Virginia Rhea Yates, age 94, of Round Rock, Texas passed away Sunday, December 26, 2021 in Round Rock, Texas.
Virginia was born October 29, 1927 in Brady, Texas to Mark Mitchell and Annie Elizabeth (Roper) Mitchell. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received her bachelor’s degree and Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University) where she received master’s degrees in education. Early in her career, she and her husband moved to Colombia where they worked for The Exxon oil company. She taught school at the oil company school, which was built for children of the oil company’s employees. They returned to the states in 1954 when Virginia was expecting their first child. They settled in Shiner, Texas where she taught school for 35 years, retiring in 1991. She was a long-time member of the Shiner Baptist Church. She has lived in Round Rock for the last 25 years. She had a green thumb. She took great pleasure in gardening and caring for her plants and was very particular in the way she kept her garden. She once planted 13 Live Oak trees in her yard, one of which she had planted at an angle to make it look more natural. She was also an avid Bridge player.
Funeral services for Virginia Yates will be held at 1:00pm Friday, January 7, 2022 at Leatherwood Memorial Chapels in Brady with Reverend Jeff Quattlebaum officiating. Interment will follow at the Rochelle Cemetery in Rochelle. Friends may view and/or sign Virginia’s online memorial guest book at www.leatherwoodmemorialchapels.com.
Virginia is survived by her daughter Diana Rodriguez and husband Rudy of Round Rock, Texas, grandchildren Rachael E. Rodriguez of The Hague, Netherlands and Taylor Rodriguez of Round Rock, Texas and great-granddaughter Margot Royer of Norwood, Massachusetts. She was preceded in death by her mother Annie Roper Mitchell Moeller, Father Mark Mitchell, sister Joy Ann Coalson and daughter Deborah D. Yates. Memorial contributions in memory of Virginia Rhea Yates may be made to the Round Rock Area Serving Center, 1099 East Main Street, Round Rock, Texas 78664.