Virginia “Ginger”'s Obituary
Virginia “Ginger” Alice (Baker) Skoog, age 90, went into the arms of Jesus on January 9, 2024, at Peace Hospice in Great Falls, MT. Ginger was born on March 16, 1933, in Noonan, ND to parents John and Rose Baker on the family farm where she was raised with nine siblings. Ginger went to grade school at Noonan, then attended high school at Crosby, ND where she and her sister Pearl lived with a woman who had many boarders over the years. During high school she worked as a waitress at a local café. After high school, Ginger moved to Williston with her sister Pearl and worked as a waitress in a café. This is where she met her future husband, Arnold “Arnie” Skoog.
Ginger and Arnie were married on May 22, 1954, and spent 65 years together raising their family until Arnie’s passing in 2019. As a married couple they lived in Williston, ND, Dutton, MT and then settled in Great Falls, MT. Over the years Ginger worked off and on as a waitress in several different cafes but her most important job was raising her five children and then childcare for several of her grandchildren.
Ginger loved her Lord and spent her life serving him through church, first at the Riverview Baptist Church and then the First Baptist Church where she served as a Deaconess, served on the Board of Education, taught Sunday School, VBS, was a member of the women’s group, and delighted in providing coffee and snacks after the church service.
Ginger loved her flower and vegetable gardens and spent many hours tending them. She also had a love for wildflowers. She enjoyed playing pinochle, cribbage, Scrabble, Phase 10, and many other games. She played games with Arnie and others whenever she could, but especially loved playing games with her grandchildren. She enjoyed feeding the birds in her yard and watching different varieties when they came to eat.
Ginger was a gracious, caring, beautiful person, good friend, and mentor, but most important she was a beloved mother and grandmother. Her door was always open, and she loved whenever someone stopped by to visit and have a cup of coffee. When she gave birthday cards to others, she wrote poems in them to add to their day.
Ginger is survived by her children, Debra (Bart) Stevenson, Jay (Lydia) Skoog, Dana (Shawna) Skoog, Janet Dutcher, Wendy (Mike) Allison; sixteen grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren and one on the way; sister, Pearl Bjorgen; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Ginger was preceded in death by her parents, John and Rose Baker; husband, Arnold “Arnie” Gustave Skoog; brothers, Clarence, John, and Perry; sisters, Florence, Edith, Ethel, Rosie, and Lois; son-in-law, Scott Fleming; and grandson, baby Scott.
Ginger’s family would like to thank the staff at her Beehive Home for the exceptional care she was given. We also want to thank the staff at Peace Hospice for the compassionate loving care they provided to Ginger and the family. Ginger’s memorial service will be on January 20, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Great Falls. A burial will be at a later date at the Skoog Family Cemetery in Fort Shaw, MT.
Memorials in her honor can be given to First Baptist Church in Great Falls, Templed Hills Baptist Camp, or Peace Hospice.
