Obituary of Virginia "Ginny" Steen

Virginia “Ginny” Steen, age 79, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away Thursday morning, November 1, 2018 at Atrium Post Acute Care in Wisconsin Rapids.

Ginny was born October 19, 1939 in Marshalltown, Iowa to Edward and Genevieve (Samer) Eckhart.  She married James Steen on April 26, 1974 in Stevens Point, WI. 

She was employed in health services as a workman’s compensation Claim Adjuster for Consolidated Papers, Inc. until the time of her retirement; 1998

Ginny was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She cared deeply about her family and always wanted to be in the loop.  “Grammy”, as the little ones in the family came to know her by, always seemed to have that special card or present for the occasion.  She loved to dote on her granddaughter’s whether it was with shopping trips, sleepovers or long talks on the phone.

Ginny was a wonderful, talented cook.  She loved watching cooking shows and being part of a “gourmet club”. She was always available for advice or to share a recipe with her daughters as they share her love for good, tasty meals. Ginny enjoyed reading and was part of a local book club. In retirement years, she and Jim enjoyed trips to England, Spain and Mexico; as well as taking short trips to visit friends.

Ginny was a very active member of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church where she sang in the choir.  Sparked by an idea she got while visiting a church in Waupaca, WI, Ginny floated the idea of starting a soup kitchen in Wisconsin Rapids.  With encouragement from family and with the help of the Community Foundation of South Wood County (now Incourage), several local churches, and many volunteers her vision was realized. The first of many meals was served on December 31, 2003 at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church and what our area now knows as The Neighborhood Table was born.  On October 3, 2013, Ginny’s effort to reduce hunger in our area resulted in her being awarded The "Jefferson Award" as well as "Volunteer of the Year" for these efforts.  She was very proud of being the programs’ founder and even prouder of how it has grown to serve the needs of so many people in our area.

Ginny is survived by her loving husband, Jim; two daughters: Marsha (Mark) Jacobson-Davis of Florida and Monica (Steven) Hass of Wisconsin Rapids; three granddaughters: Heather Hass (Sean Williamson) of New York, Lauren Keller of Florida, and Katelynn (Marty) Morrison of Arizona; two great-grandsons, Theodor and Sawyer. One brother, Jeff of Florida and two sisters Jeanne Stroh of Missouri and Kathy Matonich of Wisconsin Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.  She is preceded in death by her parents and brothers-in-law, Stan Stroh and Jack Matonich.

Services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, November 5, 2018 at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Wisconsin Rapids.  Rev. Mary Trainor will officiate. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service on Monday at the church.  Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Steen family.  For online condolences, please visit www.taylorfuneralhome.net.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Ginny’s memory with a donation to The Neighborhood Table (www.theneighborhoodtable.org) or St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church.