Life Story: Virginia Bultman
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The smiling face of Virginia Bultman greeted students for nearly 30 years inside Prosperity Heights Elementary School on St. Paul's east side.
They called her Miss Ginny -- The Lunch Lady.
"Every one of those kids got a hug every day from her," said Nanette Hoover, Ginny's niece. "And she knew all of their special foods and all of that kind of stuff and she would set things aside for different people."
Glenda Weber is also one of Ginny's nieces.
"It's no wonder she was loved by all of them because she would do all these special little touches along the way," Glenda said.
They say their aunt loved the holidays, and she would often wear costumes at school -- even adding special touches to her hair.
"Glitter at Christmas time, and the kids loved to touch her hair because it was like so stiff," Glenda said. "It was a can of Aquanet [laughs]!"
Students remember Ginny as a good listener, a personal cheerleader and a shoulder to cry on.
Kids regularly presented her with thank-you cards and artwork. She stayed in touch with many of them after they graduated high school.
"She had a huge impact on a lot of those kids, many that still kept in contact with her long after she had retired," Glenda said.
Nanette say retirement did not keep Ginny away from her beloved kids.
"After she retired, she actually went back and sat with the kids and helped them with their reading and stuff," she said. "Prosperity was part of who she was, and her contribution to the community."
Her nieces say Ginny was just as passionate about her husband. They found piles of love letters the two wrote to each other.
"She loved to just sit at the table and play cards with us, and she wanted to know everything about your life," Glenda said. "She taught me the value of good friends, she taught me the value of family, she just was so, so loving."
Nanette says there was far more than meets the eye when it came to her aunt.
"You could look at this and say 'what a simple life,' but when you step back and look at the impact that she had on people, all of a sudden that simple life doesn't seem quite so simple anymore," Nanette said.
Virginia Bultman was 87 years old. Her family says contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society in Miss Ginny's honor.
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