Virginia Wylie Fowlkes Ely, age 67, of Charleston, died Friday February 22, 2019, at her home.

VIrginia was born October 2 1951, at Rock Springs, Wyoming to the late Charles Wyley Fowlkes and Helen Young Fowlkes. The family returned to Charleston in 1954 . A 1969 graduate of Charleston School, she later was graduated from Southeast Missouri State College with a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Drama in December of 1974. From1975-1976 she returned to graduate school at SEMO with an emphasis in secondary education and subsequently taught drama at the University High School in Cape Girardeau.

During the summers of 1975-1977 she traveled as an actress for the Patchwork Company, a children's theater troupe, in southeast Missouri. Serving as their executive director, she planned and organized major city arts events for the Southeast Missouri Council of the Arts in Cape Girardeau

Virginia married and moved to Norman, Oklahoma where she served as office manager & lecturer for Three Way, Inc. Later she worked as an adjunct instructor for Creative Dramatics for the Elementary Classroom, Oklahoma Panhandle State University. As an administrative counselor and coordinator of School & University Relations, she was involved in both TV and radio appearances.

She was an administrative assistant at the University of Oklahoma School of music and at St. Thomas Moore University Parish where she was also a lector, liturgical dancer, and member of the choir. AT OU, she served as an academic counselor for the College of Business Administration. Virginia ultimately worked fifteen years with the USDA Farm Service Agency in Charleston before retiring in 2007.

Virginia was active in her community as a member of The Missouri State Arts Council Advisory Committee, Missouri State Teachers Association, St. Joseph's and St. Philip Neri catholic churches, Big Sister, Big Brother/Big Sisters of Cleveland County, Black Mask Honorary Drama Society, and many years with The Mississippi County Historical Society. She was nominated as an Outstanding Young Women of America 1981 and Best Actress, Southeast Missouri State University, 1975-1976.

Virginia loved the stage and the arts, performing in several plays at Southeast Missouri State College in Cape Girardeau, University of Oklahoma-Norman, and the Little Sikeston Theatre as well as many local events. One of her favorites was playing Mother Nature for the annual SOLAR Day at Corse Farm. She was an acclaimed artist and created several parade floats and seasonal period decorations for The Mississippi County Historical Society.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister Janice Fowlkes Sutherland Palmer and her former husband of fourteen years, Dave B. Brewer.

She is survived by her beloved husband Hunter Ely of Charleston, brother Robert Fowlkes, his wife Emily and their son Ryan of Los Angeles, CA, her brother Wayne Fowlkes, his wife Susan of Cape Girardeau, MO, and their three children - daughters Jennifer and Tara, son Charles Robert Fowlkes, and her nephew Scott Sutherland Palmer, his wife Jan and his two children Adyson and Noah Palmer of Arlington, TN.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 am on Thursday, February 28, 2019 until the Funeral Hour at 11:00 am, at the United Methodist Church, 1700 E. Marshall St., Charleston MO 63834.   The pastor, Rev. J. Robert Webster, will officiate.

Interment will follow in the I.O.O.F Cemetery near Charleston under the direction of the McMikle Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be: Jamie Pollack, Charlie Harper, Alfred Marshall, Noel Day, Ben Whitehead and Scott Sutherland Palmer

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: The United Methodist Church MYF, P.O. Box 351, Charleston MO 63834 or The Mississippi County Historical Society, 403 N. Main Street, Charleston, MO 63834