Virginia Mae Malanowski

Virginia Mae (Watson) Malanowski, 101, resident of Newton, Kansas since 2006, passed away on March 9, 2023, at her home.

Virginia was born on March 12, 1921in Pleasantville, PA to the late Maxwell Watson and Mary Belle (Sharp) Watson. She married Oddie Malanowski on February 26, 1944 in Pleasantville, PA, and he preceded her in death on September 24, 2001 after 58 years of marriage.

Following her graduation from Pleasantville High School in 1939, where she played basketball and sang in operettas for the Glee Club, Virginia chose to attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she sang on the radio station, ministered to patients at Cook County Hospital and taught child evangelism classes. Virginia graduated from Moody in December of 1943.

In 1948, four years after her marriage, Virginia and her husband, Oddie, entered the First Primitive Methodist Conference beginning a 53 year time of service for the Lord. In their ministries, she taught Bible classes, directed daily vacation Bible schools, planned programs for Christmas, Easter, and other special days, taught junior church, and sang in church and community choirs.

While serving with her husband in New England, Virginia taught elementary grades at Fall Rivers Christian School and worked with her husband and with the Boy Scouts teaching God and Country classes. Birginia enjoyed so much caring for missionaries who were at home on furlough.

Since the death of her husband in 2001, Virginia made her home with her daughter, Mary Ann Tareila and her husband – Pastor Terry Tareila, in Newton, Kansas. While living there she enjoyed neighborhood Bible classes and the friendships of neighbors and members of the First Baptist Church and New Life Assembly of God Church.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents; her step mother, June Watson; her husband, Oddie; a son, Pastor David Malanowski; an infant brother, Wayne Watson; and two sisters, Betty Sterling and Martha Lewandowski.

Surviving Virginia is a daughter, Mary Ann Tareila and her husband, Pastor Terry Tareila; a daughter-in-law, Shirley Metcalf and her husband, Jasper Metcalf; two sisters, Sandra Peterson of Pleasantville, PA and Joanne Simmermon of Linesville, PA; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts for church ministry may be given to Pocono Mountain Bible Conference 191, Clifton Beach Road, Clifton Township, PA 18424.