Virginia Sue Keen was born in the small town of Tioga, Texas. She grew up as a farm girl. Her family later moved to Cypress Fairbanks, Texas, where she was involved in FFA. She was a champion barrel racer and rodeo queen—a real cowgirl.
After graduating high school, she attended Southern Methodist University, where she pursued a degree in Fashion Design. When she presented her project of denim clothes to her professor, she was told, “no one but cowboys will ever wear denim”. She was always ahead of the times; she could have been the creator of the Levi’s empire!
Virginia left Texas to work for the CIA in Washington DC as a secretary, a bold move for a woman in 1950. She returned to Houston a few years later and met Thomas W. Beels, her husband of 66 years. They had 3 children, Cheryl Smith, Linda Beels, and Richard Beels.
Thomas' job involved traveling so they moved all over the country. Virginia was always accepting of all people, regardless of race or culture. She looked on traveling as a learning experience and embraced each move as a new adventure for her and her family. When her children started college at Southwest Texas State University, Virginia and Thomas moved to San Marcos and set up their permanent residence. Virginia worked in the Political Science Department at the university and loved her job there. Thomas then had another transfer and they moved to Baton Rouge, La., then Bastrop and New Braunfels, eventually ending back in San Marcos.
Virginia was full of love! She was involved in her children's lives with the PTA, a Girl Scout leader, den mother for the Cub Scouts and a Sunday School teacher. She loved children of all ages, from the infant teacher position at Kids of the Kingdom to the college age student workers at the university, she shared her love and “mothered” them all. When her daughter Cheryl started a home day care, she was 70 years old, would help out, and was “Grandma Ginny” to another bunch of babies.
She had seven grandchildren that she adored: Becky & Carrie Smith of San Marcos, Nathan, Andrew & Heather Beels of Austin, and LaNell and Blake Angerstein of Flower Mound. Many people would agree that she had her angel wings here on earth, but now she has them in Heaven.
She would want to Thank the staff at Texas Oncology, Austin Heart (especially Dr. Abide), the Advanced Home Health staff, and the wonderful caring people of Kindred Hospice. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, no memorial service is planned at this time. In lieu of flowers please donate to South Hays Fire Department, attn: Station 13 at 3528 Hunter Rd., San Marcos, Texas 78666. Please put Station 13 in the memo line on the check.
Services are under the direction of Thomason Funeral Home. For more information and to sign the online guest registry, please visit thomasonfuneralhome.com.
