Virginia Frances Green

Virginia Francis Hafner-Godsey-Larson-Green Virginia, age 99, peacefully passed away on January 9, 2017 in Rio Linda, CA. Virginia was born in Portland, OR on December 15, 1917. She was the middle child of three daughters to Emil & Emma Hafner. Her mother secretly named her Oriole on her birth certificate but told the family her name was Virginia because her father had told her mother if she named her Oriole he would call her Oil Can. She didn't know the name on her birth certificate until she was in her 50's when she needed to order an original birth certificate. She ended up legally changing her name to Virginia. When she was 13 years old her mother passed away. Since her father was unable to care for the children, the youngest daughter was adopted to a couple who only wanted 1 child. Her older sister had recently been married and couldn't take care of Virginia so she went to live with different families cleaning their house for room and board. One of the families made sure she continued to go to school. After graduating from Newport High School in 1936 she attended Oregon Normal School where she received a teaching certificate and became a substitute teacher until she married Elliot Godsey, a carpenter on June 1, 1940. They lived in McMinnville, Albany and Portland Oregon; where Elliot found work. When their children were grown they divorced. Virginia then decided to move to California on her own, originally heading to Long Beach where her youngest daughter lived. Her car broke down in Sacramento, CA. She was able to find work cleaning houses and decided to stay in Sacramento. She then married Milo Larson, her 2nd husband, a custodian of their church. They spent their time together traveling, camping, bike riding, bowling, playing board games and cards. They also played Scrabble at every meal until his death. She continued to bowl, ride her bike and play games at her local senior center as well as sharing her love of camping, bike riding, board games and cards with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. At the age of 80 she decided to move to the Oregon Coast and settled in Florence, Oregon where she joined a church and continued her activities at the local senior center. She met her 3rd husband Larry Green at the senior center and they continued to play board games and cards until she started to suffer with mild dementia. In 2013 she moved to Rio Linda, CA to live with her daughter Judy until her passing. She is survived by her 3 daughters Judy Yakes of Rio Linda, CA; Paula Porter of St. Helens, OR; Suzi Ray of Centennial, CO; 8 Grandchildren, 26 Great Grandchildren and 17 Great, Great Grandchildren and her sister Betty Trask of Vancouver, WA. Memorial Service will be at 2pm on Sunday, January 15, 2017 located at Elverta First Baptist Church, 112 W. Delano Street, Elverta, CA.