Virginia O'Brien

Virginia Genevieve O’Brien, 94, of Bismarck, passed away peacefully at her home on November 10, 2021.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, at First Lutheran Church, Mandan, with Pastor Phil Leer officiating.  Burial will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Monday, November 15, 2021, from 5-7 PM at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan, with a prayer service at 7 PM.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday.

Virginia was born March 2, 1927, in Mandan, to John and Anna (Johnson) Zearley.  She was raised and educated in the Fort Rice area.  Virginia attended Bismarck Hospital Nursing School, graduating in 1948.  After graduation, she worked at Hazen Hospital.  From there, Virginia moved to Spokane, WA, where she met a young Airforce Sargent, Francis (Nick) O’Brien.  They were married on April 19, 1963, in Rapid City, SD.  They moved to Denver, CO, where they were blessed with a daughter, Yolanda "YoYo".  After Nick retired from the Airforce, they moved to Bismarck where Virginia worked at the Bismarck Hospital until her retirement in 1994.

Virginia loved to bowl and was the secretary of her bowling league for 25 years. She loved her neighbors and had special relationships with many of them.  Virginia also loved her flower garden and spent many hours tending to it.

Virginia is survived by her daughter, Yolanda "YoYo" (Todd) Wahl, Bismarck; son, Michael (Barb) O’Brien, Apache Junction, AZ; son-in-law, Fred Wooten, Tennessee; grandchildren, Mandy (Jon) Bisson, Jennifer Wahl, and Joshua (Elsa) Wahl; great-grandchildren, Dominic O’Brien, Noah O’Brien, Anime Koch, and Oliver Wahl; special friends, Sue Schlafmann, Bob & Sherry Derwin, Janet & Dave Nelson and family, Leroy & Joy Krien, Stan & Deb Thompson, Matthew Thompson, Alex Thompson, Kris Feltch, John Schoon, Jobe & Lauren Black, Maria House, Kari & Gary Glaser, Jackie Fakler, Heidi & Brent Hilzendeger, Lantz family, Jen Churchill, Ty Tipton, and Whitney Schlafmann; and many nieces, nephews, and special Pinochle friends.

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Nick; her parents; daughter, Erin Wooten; grandson, Jordan Wahl; brothers, Luther, Miner, and Ralph Zearley; and sisters, Myrtle Wilberdean, Edna Prudent, and Polly Belden.