Virginia Muirhead | March 30, 1924 - December 12, 2021
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Dec 15, 2021 | 5:26 AM / 550 views
Virginia Mae (Archambeau) Muirhead, 97, of Presho, SD, died on Sunday, December 12th at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 23rd at Lutheran Memorial Church in Pierre.
Virginia was born on March 30, 1924 in Ft. Pierre, SD to Edward and Helen (Robertson) Archambeau. She was one of eight children. She grew up near Cedar Creek in rural Lyman County. She was educated at LaRoche Elementary School, Plainview Academy (high school), and attended Black Hills Teachers’ College in Spearfish. She married David “Jug” Muirhead on August 21, 1959 in Pierre, SD. They made their home in Hayes, SD. Together they raised three children: Debra, David, and Crystal.
As a rural schoolteacher and reading specialist, Virginia spent most of her working life teaching at various rural schools throughout South Dakota. Additionally, she was employed in both Minneapolis and Denver doing general clerical work. Virginia felt passionately about reading both in and out of her classroom. She was a lifelong reader and absolutely certain that reading was the key to her longevity.
Virginia was also very active in her communities; she was a member of the Yankton Lakota Tribe, Stanley County Extension Club, Eastern Star, the Hayes Dramatic Society, Grace Lutheran Church and Circle-Hayes, SD, and American Lutheran Church-Presho, SD.
Virginia is survived by her children David “Scott” Muirhead (Julie) of Presho, SD, Crystal Manik (Richard) of Minneapolis, MN, and son-in-law Ray Decker of Anoka, MN; her eight grandchildren, Stacey, Jason, Brandon, Chelsea, Ian, Sarah, Emily and Bryson, and her sixteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband David Francis “Jug” Muirhead, her daughter Debra, her parents Edward and Helen Archambeau, and her siblings: Milburn, Charles, Donald, Harry, Violet, Jenny, and Helen.
