Geston, Virginia Rae (Douglas)

Virginia "Ginny" Geston, 94, of Fargo, ND, died on December 12, 2025.

Ginny was born September 15, 1931 in Grafton, ND to Harold and Selma (Midboe) Douglas who farmed near Hoople, ND. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 74 years Robert "Bob" Geston, and is survived by sister Marian Halgrimson Fagerholt, son Douglas (Mary Kay) and their children Andrew (Shadi Memarian) Geston and Marit (Ryan) Ripley, son Scott (Cindy) and their children Tori (Jon) Bown and Jonas, son Christopher (Laurie) Geston and their children Gunnar and Bennett, great-grandchildren John and Margot Ripley, Scarlett Bown, and Elara Memarian Geston, and sister- and brother-in-law Paula (Geston) and Bill Heigaard.

While a student at Hoople High School Ginny met Bob and agreed to go on a double date with him to a movie in Grafton. Bob fell asleep on the drive home, but Ginny didn't seem to mind, especially since he wasn't the driver. She graduated from Hoople High School in 1949, then attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN where she studied elementary education and sang in the famed Concordia Choir. Meanwhile Ginny's & Bob's romance flourished and they were married on November 5, 1950 in Hoople. As was common at the time, Ginny put her education aside to become a homemaker and mother of three boys, supporting Bob in a long series of moves for his service in the US Army, enrollment in medical school at the Universities of North Dakota and Iowa, and ultimately settling in West Fargo, ND in 1961 where Bob practiced medicine for 34 years.

During her time in West Fargo, Ginny transitioned from being a stay-at-home mom to an engaged community servant, to a full-time member of the workforce. She enjoyed working with people and had a wide circle of friends. She had a strong faith throughout her life and was an active member of Faith Lutheran Church in West Fargo where she sang in the choir and was a frequent soloist, and later at First Lutheran Church in Fargo. She was invited to join the Junior League of Fargo-Moorhead and served a term as the organization's president. She volunteered on many community service projects including work for the Plains Art Museum, Cass County Bookmobile and Prairie Public Television.

Ginny will be remembered as a pioneering role model for women in leadership. Her Junior League work on behalf of Prairie Public TV led to her being hired in 1973 as their Auction Coordinator and later as Director of Development. She left PPTV to become the Executive Director of ShareHouse, an addiction treatment halfway facility in Fargo, a position she held until her retirement in 1996. During her working career she was part of the group that established Fargo's cable TV system. She served on the PBS Development Advisory Committee, the NDSU Lutheran Campus Council, the North Dakota Educational Broadcasting Council, and the boards of directors of the North Dakota Federation of Music Clubs, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater, ShareHouse, and Luther Northwestern Seminary (St. Paul, MN).

Ginny was a devoted wife and mother and a strong advocate for her sons. Her generosity was legendary both within her family and the larger community. She had a keen sense of style, especially in home decor, acquiring over the years many pieces that are still in vogue today. She took great delight in gathering with her family, including Christmas in town and the Fourth of July at the lake. Helping her dad repair farm machinery and her later work with recovering addicts and their counselors instilled in her a vocabulary that could turn salty at times, much to the amusement of her family. After her retirement from ShareHouse she continued to nourish her lifelong love of music by remaining active in the Fargo-Moorhead Area Music Club, singing with the Noteables, several trios with family and friends and the Touchmark Choir, and regularly attending concerts. She and Bob enjoyed traveling and spending time in Destin, FL to escape the coldest part of North Dakota winters. In her last years she resided at Touchmark and Bethany on University, both in Fargo.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to ShareHouse (sharehouse.org/foundation/donate/), Bethany Retirement Living Foundation (bethanynd.org/contact/donors/), or Ethos Hospice Care (www.ethoscare.org/donate/).