Virginia Bears Lamascus

Virginia Bears Lamascus (Dec. 9, 1935-Feb. 8, 2020)

An angel was born on Dec. 9, 1935 and earned her wings alongside her beloved Savior and Lord on Saturday, Feb. 8, flying home to be with her loved ones and friends who went before her. She came into this world, delivered at home in Catoosa near Timber Ridge, by her own grandma, a midwife.

As a small child, she and her siblings were driven to California by their parents, in a Model T car, living the Grapes of Wrath story. Virginia once said her Dad, at that time, would hunt for possum and raccoon just to feed the family. Sometimes they lived on water gravy and biscuits for dinner.

Still, Virginia, learned the truths of life from her parents, and passed along the traits to her children that got them through the hardships of their lives – love, kindness, honesty, forgiveness, loyalty and hard work ethics were far more valuable than gold.

She loved Christmas, fried chicken, coney’s and puppy dogs, playing Words with Friends, but mostly loved her Lord and family. She passed away at the home of her beloved daughter Pam, holding her hand as she slipped away on Saturday, Feb. 8 in South Tulsa. Her heart had grown too weak as her lifelong desire to reach Heaven became her strength. It was the exact same day her mother had died 16 years before.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Ophelia Bears of Catoosa; a brother, Frank of Bartlesville, and sister Elsie of Tulsa; and her husband Warren Lamascus.

She is survived by her children, Bill Linihan III and his wife Paula of Visalia, Calif.; Pam Daniel and her husband Pat, Tulsa; Richard Linihan, Oklahoma City, and Brenda Hedges, Broken Arrow; her brother Edward of Cleveland, Okla.; brother Jim Bears and his wife Ree, Orange, Calif.; sister-in-law Barbara Bears of Bartlesville; granddaughters, Beth Linihan, Gretchen Lenart, Amber Bartlett, Ashley Vetter, Autumn Jessup, Whitney Lahita, and grandson Jeremy Behrens, plus many great-grandchildren, and best friend Patty Autry.

Graveside services are 11:00 AM, Tuesday, February 18th, at Green Hill Cemetery in Muskogee, handled by Broken Arrow Funeral and Cremation. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to either Swingin D Horse Rescue https://swingindhorserescue.com/take-action/donate/ or Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network https://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/donate.