Obituary: Virginia Jamison

As received from the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home:

UPDATE: A graveside service will be held at 10:00 am on Monday July 18, 2022 in Section 1 of the Lake View Cemetery with Father Corbin Eddy to officiate.

Dorothy Virginia Petermann Jamison, age 86, of Gratiot Lake, passed away surrounded by her family on Thursday, 19 August 2021, after a brief illness.
Virginia was born on 25 April 1935 in Laurium, MI, a daughter of Albert Edward “Pete” Petermann Jr and Dorothy (Cox) Petermann. She attended Calumet schools and graduated from Ferry Hall Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois in 1952. She attended Cornell University and, following her love of reading, graduated with a B.A. in Literature in 1956.
Virginia married Daniel Irwin Jamison, III on 23 December 1955 in Chicago, IL. She and her husband moved to Philadelphia to begin their married life. She received a Masters degree in Education from Beaver College (now Arcadia College) and began teaching in the Philadelphia Public Schools. She was a staunch advocate of early childhood education and, later in her career, used her expertise to instruct teachers in the art of teaching reading.
The family’s proximity to the Wissahickon Skating Club in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia prompted an interest in figure skating. Virginia was appointed as a judge for the U.S. Figure Skating Association. She would serve in this role for 40 years, both as a test judge and a National Synchronized Skating judge.
When Virginia retired from teaching in 1996, she returned to her beloved “Largo,” her grandfather’s house where she had spent summers as a child, and became a cornerstone of the Gratiot Lake community. There was always coffee and baked goods for the neighbors who regularly dropped by to catch up on the daily news.
Virginia’s family history ran deep in the Copper County, and she was immensely proud of their contributions to life here. Both passionate and knowledgeable, Virginia loved to share the history of the Copper Country. She was a life member of the South Range Historical Society, Houghton County Historical Society, and served as president of the Keweenaw County Historical Society (KCHS) from 2007 to 2014. She also served as the site coordinator for the KCHS History Museum. She received the KCHS’s highest honor, the Leskinen Award, in 2015 for her contributions to the society. Because of her deep knowledge and love of the areas history, she enjoyed being a judge for the Keweenaw National Historical Park’s annual History Smackdown.
She supported the Gratiot Lake Conservancy and participated in the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District annual tree sale. She was an avid gardener and kept an extensive flower garden.
Virginia was devoted to her family. She attended graduations, births, recitals, and skating events around the country and world to celebrate their accomplishments. She was unwavering in her support for Calumet athletic teams.
She was a kind and loyal friend who embraced her friends as family. She knew how to say the right thing and cut to the heart of an issue. She was inquisitive and was always ready to tackle a new project, be it tapping trees to make maple syrup, going on an off-road adventure with her daughter, or overseeing the restoration of a historical building.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy (Cox) and Albert E. Petermann Jr.; former husband, Daniel I. Jamison, III; and brother Albert Edward Petermann, III. She is survived by her sisters, Christine Edenfield and Mary Locke Merrill (David Tarr); sister-in-law, Vivian Petermann; children, Daniel (Shauna) Jamison IV, Dorothy Jamison, and David Jamison; grandchildren, Jessica, Daniel, Emma, and Riley Jamison; and nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends.
Visitation will be held at the Siskiwit Reception Hall 26070 Pine Street Calumet, MI 49913 from
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday 23 August 2021, with the funeral service to follow at 7 p.m. Father Corbin Eddy will officiate. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Keweenaw County Historical Society or the Gratiot Lake Conservancy in her memory.
The Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolendes can be left for the family at ericksoncrowleypeterson.com