Virginia "Ginny" Smithberg

Virginia (“Ginny”) Smithberg slipped into eternal rest peacefully on January 30, 2025. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Lyn Holtmann, former husband, John (“Jack”) Holtmann, parents, John Peter and Opal Marie (Jones) Hall, and older brother, Charles John Hall.

Ginny is survived by her husband, John Peter Smithberg, and three remaining children: John (wife Anne), David (wife Molly), and Beth (husband Larry Lee). She is also survived by her ten grandchildren: Alexa (husband Philip Schuchardt), Maggie, Madelyn, Elle (husband Andrew Mais), Max, Lydia, Peter, Kirsten, Anna, and Jenae. She was also blessed with three great-grandchildren: Poppy, George, and Vivian Mais.

Ginny was born in St. Louis, MO, on March 2, 1938. Her future husband was born one day earlier on March 1, 1938, and lived two blocks away. They attended St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church and grade school together in Brentwood, MO. Ginny moved to Springfield, MO, with her parents and attended St. Agnes High School. After graduation Ginny enrolled in the St. John’s School of Nursing becoming a Registered Nurse, beginning a theme of helping others that would be central to her entire life. After graduation she began working at the American Red Cross.

Ginny eventually married her childhood sweetheart, Jack, and returned to St. Louis briefly while starting their family. After having two children, they returned to Springfield and had two more rounding out a family of six. Those were busy times with school, lots of ball games, practices, scouting, lessons, and other activities! We were always encouraged to participate in these activities, and she was always volunteering as a Den Mother, Brownie Leader, carpooler, or whatever was needed to help nurture, not only her children, but other children as well. Friends were always welcomed into our home. Occasional weekend trips to the lake coupled with annual vacations to small cabins on Table Rock became ingrained in all of our DNA. All four of her children developed a love of the lake and it remains a central part of their lives to this day. Memories of her slaloming after the age of 60, with arthritic hands, still amaze us! Ginny was always a determined person!

As her children started becoming more self-sufficient, she returned to the American Red Cross as the Assistant Director of Blood Services Nursing, ultimately spending twenty years at the ARC. During the later years, she returned to Drury University, where she successfully completed her BS in Nursing and a Master’s in Business Administration. Ginny firmly believed in education to better oneself and always encouraged us to set high goals.

Her final career stop, and the one for which we believe she was most proud, was as the VP of Patient Services for Community Hospices of America. In the training materials that she developed for new employees, Ginny talked about the frustration of being a nurse when someone is dying and not being able to administer support (physical, psychological, and spiritual) to patients and families in a timely fashion. Too many times she witnessed fear and suffering that she believed was not necessary. She fully embraced hospice care and the benefits it would have for not only patients, but their families as well. As one who believed in God, she knew that dying was not to be feared but was a necessary step to achieve our ultimate goal of getting to Heaven.

Upon her retirement, and as her family began to grow with many grandchildren, Ginny embarked on many volunteer activities. We are not sure if she ever turned down a request to help out at St. Agnes Cathedral. She led so many different programs that we honestly could not keep track. We joked that we often had to make an appointment to see her!

It was through one of these programs, Beginning Experiences, that she met her new husband, John Smithberg. They were married in 2002. Together they volunteered on many projects, of which the most impactful was the introduction of bingo for the benefit of St. Agnes Cathedral. Ginny and John continued their effort, with the help of many others, raising substantial sums of money for the church. She volunteered until her health would not allow her to do so.

John embraced his new role with Ginny’s ten grandchildren and three great grandchildren. John enjoyed spending time playing ball outdoors and helping out with the grandkids as if they were his own. Ginny and John took the grandkids, two at a time, on special trips to various destinations as their health allowed. “Grandkids Weekend” was an annual tradition on the weekend after Thanksgiving that entailed trips to Ha Ha Tonka (with parents allowed to join for this singular event!), spaghetti dinners, movies, Christmas shopping for the parents and a host of other fun events that provide memories that each grandchild holds dear to this day. It was quite an event with Grandma (or Mema) and two grandpas that took weeks of planning and coordination (invitations, decisions about activities, etc.). It could just as easily have been called “Grandparents Weekend” as they were having as much fun as the grandkids!

Ginny’s greatest joy was being with her family. As her health declined and the next generation of great grandkids started to come along, she would sometimes say, “I need to see some little people!” Their visits always warmed her heart.

When Ginny’s time was nearing the end we knew it was time to contact hospice. What an easy decision it was since she spent many years of her life being a hospice proponent! When we had the initial meeting with hospice personnel, a cordial nurse arrived to begin explaining the process and preparing us for the end. When she finished with her professional presentation, she asked if we had any questions about how it might go? We smiled and said, “We know all about hospice! Mom used to be involved with hospice!” The nurse did a double-take and asked if Ginny used to have a different last name? We said, “Yes, it used to be Ginny Holtmann.” The nurse exclaimed, “Ginny, you trained me to be a hospice nurse. You were my mentor! You were so professional and greatly admired.” After Ginny’s death the same hospice nurse came out to comfort the family. She told us that Ginny was a truly gracious and compassionate person who will be greatly missed. What an unbelievable full circle of events! While still an emotionally heavy time, as her children, we all believe her passing was about as peaceful as one might experience. Our sincere appreciation goes to Access Hospice Care and their great employees who assisted us on Mom’s final journey.

Ginny would be the first to say she had an extremely blessed life. She was one who always saw the best in people and the glass half full rather than half empty. She always wore her “rose colored glasses”, a quality that she shared with her mother, Opal Marie Hall. With a strong faith and love of God, a loving family with many children, great friends, and two adoring husbands, she would not have asked for more. We are confident she reached her ultimate objective and has entered into her final resting place with God.

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In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Agnes Cathedral in honor of Ginny.

 St. Agnes Cathedral

533 S. Jefferson

Springfield, MO 65806

https://www.sta-cathedral.org/

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Funeral Arrangements: 

St. Agnes Cathedral

Friday, February 7, 2025

Visitation: 10:00 – 10:45 AM

Mass: 11:00 AM

Graveside Service: Immediately following Mass at Resurrection Cemetery: (4677 W. Division St., Springfield, MO 65803)

Reception luncheon: Immediately following the graveside service at St. Agnes Grade School cafeteria. All are invited to attend.