VIRGINIA M. McKENZIE, 65, a Swinomish Indian Tribe Elder, passed away at her home in La Conner, surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday June 23, 2004.
She was born on August 25, 1938 at Tulalip, Washington, the daughter of Alphonso J. and Therease McLeod Sampson, Sr. She was raised and attended school at Swinomish.
Since 1983 Virginia has worked as a certified nursing assistant. She worked for Community Homewell providing in home health care and was one of Skagit Hospice’s first nurses. She was also a traveling missionary for the 1910 Indian Shaker Church for many years, and a motto she would follow was ‘Eat Lightning and Preach Thunder’. She enjoyed her Indian heritage, as a teenager she pulled family canoes and as an elder would follow them on journeys. She also made yarn and cedar baskets. She liked her time at the Swinomish Senior Center and doing some traveling with the seniors, and she was instrumental in helping to preserve the Swinomish Indian language. Virginia has been sober for 29 years and in 1979 she started the Rainbow AA group. She also enjoyed second hand shopping, going to garage sales and was an avid Mariners fan.
She is survived by 2 sons, Phillip Stone in Oregon and Jeff Shongutsie in Swinomish. A daughter, Margaret Finkbonner and husband Barry in Ferndale, WA. 1 granddaughter, Shirley Shongutsie; 4 great-grandchildren, LaVennah Shongutsie, Kendall and Alicia Topaum and Grover Topaum, III. 5 God-children, Robert Rodriguez, Walter Damien, Becky George, Alma Edwards and Julie Iukes. 1 brother, Jopseph Sampson and wife Shirley of Lapwai, Idaho and 1 God- brother, Leonard Rodriquez, Sr. Also numerous nieces, nephews and ‘grandkids’. She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter, Phyllis Stone, a son, Gilbert Shongutsie, 3 brothers, James, Jake and William Sampson, 3 sisters, Betsy Dahlquist, Susan Sampson and Margaret James, and a daughter-in-law, Paula Kneeland.
The family wishes to thank the Doctors, Nurses and staff at the Skagit Valley Kidney Center and Skagit Valley Hospital and the many prayer warriors.
Prayer services for Virginia will be held at the Swinomish Social Services Center in La Conner on Friday June 25, 2004 at 7:00 PM with Funeral Services to be held on Saturday June 26, 2004 at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at the Swinomish Indian Cemetery. Share memories of Virginia and sign the online guest book at www.lemleychapel.com