Virginia May (Phillips) Strait, 79, was born at home in Kirk, Colorado on January 10, 1940 to Blanche Lula (Davis) Phillips and Jesse Melvin Phillips. She was the second youngest of nine children. She passed away on the March 31, 2019 in Brush, Colorado, where she had recently become a resident of Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center.

Most of her early childhood was spent in Wray, Colorado where her mother worked in Barrier's Bakery and at a local turkey plant each Christmas season. There, they lived in a small house on the sandhill north of the railroad tracks. She remembered having to walk everywhere while pulling a wagon because her mother never owned a car or had a driver's license. She lived in Burlington, Colorado from the time she entered sixth grade until about ninth grade. In high school she was a member of the choir and participated in pep club. She also attended and was "the choir" at the Foursquare Church in Burlington during her early teen years. In March 1957 she met Claude Reaugh Strait of New Mexico, who had been working in the area on a seismograph crew for Phillips 66. They were married a short time later on May 10, 1957 in her grandparents' house across the street from City Park. Together, they raised five children. After having lived in a variety of locations in Kansas, Colorado and California, they moved back to Wray in 1974. Virginia lived in Wray for the next 42 years. She loved being closer to her sisters. For many years Virginia worked as a cleaning lady at several local motels and businesses in Wray and she was on a woman's bowling team nicknamed "The Bruisers".  Virginia loved music, dancing, gardening, cooking, watching movies and spending time with her family. She loved playing with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and especially loved holding newborns.

She was preceded in death by her parents and seven siblings: Robert, Helen, Violet, Milton, Hazel, Junior, and Grace.

Surviving are her youngest brother, Ron (Carolyn) Phillips of Monument, Colorado; a sister-in-law, Dee Phillips of Freeland, Michigan; a son, Stern (Chris Sheets) Strait of Sterling, Colorado; a daughter, Darla (Roger) Bornhoft of Brush, Colorado; a daughter, Kelly (Forrest) Swick of Evans, Colorado; a son, Claude (Claudia) Strait of Yuma, Colorado; a son, Kevin (Shawna) Strait of Rockvale, Colorado; numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren as well as many nephews, nieces, extended family members and friends.

Services will be held in Wray, Colorado at the First Christian Church on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 10 a.m. with a reception to follow. Her cremains will be interred at Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, Colorado next to her mother following the services. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to the charity of your choice in Virginia's name.