When Virginia Ochs’ children gathered ’round a fire to reminisce about their mother’s life and legacy, a nearby cardinal began chirping loudly. The kids believed that the bird was a sign that their mother, a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan, was watching over her large family.
Before Virginia passed away on February 26, she received compassionate end-of-life care at the Sarah Bush Lincoln Willow Breeze Hospice House. A family member said of Willow Breeze, “It made all of us, especially our mom, feel at home. The home was able to accommodate our large and extended family, and she was happy with the home-like setting and care she received.”
When Virginia’s husband, Jacob, passed away in 1973, she had to raise 10 children ranging in age from 14 months to 22 years old. It wasn’t easy, but Virginia was not only strong and determined to keep the family together, but she wanted to give her children great lives. “Our mother was our everything. We often referred to her as our chief,” a family spokesperson said. “She was proud of her family, and she was a great role model for all of us.”
To them, Virginia was everything that a mother, grandmother and friend should be. She instilled faith and core values in her family and was kind to everyone. And even when she did not have much financially, she gave to others.
Virginia loved to camp and was an avid card player. She cooked and baked for family gatherings, and she always had the right words to comfort her children and to fill conversational voids.
Virginia’s children wanted her final days to be filled with the same care and compassion that she had given them. Willow Breeze’s amenities fit the bill. Its large kitchen allowed the family to eat together and to visit, and the activity room had plenty of games for the grandchildren.
After visiting one day, one great-grandchild even questioned if grandma Virginia had a new house.
The family is thankful for the entire Hospice staff for not only ensuring that Virginia was comfortable, but for making sure that all of the visiting family members were accommodated. Additionally, the family is grateful for registered nurse Emily Livingston who went “above and beyond” to make sure Virginia was comfortable.
Although Virginia is gone, her impact lives on. “We are a big family that will carry on her legacy,” a family member said. “She instilled family values in us that will be passed on from generation to generation.”