Obituary -- Virginia Kizer

A service for Virginia Kizer, 56, a Dresslerville resident for most of her life, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Dresslerville Gym. A dinner will follow.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Walton's Chapel of the Valley.

Mrs. Kizer died March 3, 2002, at her home. She was born Aug. 18, 1945, in Schurz, to Marie Simpson and Delaney Kizer Sr.

She graduated from Douglas High School in 1963 and Healds Business College in San Francisco in 1964.

Ms. Kizer worked as an office clerk for 10 years with Hartford Life Insurance Co. in San Francisco before returning to Dresslerville, where she served the Washoe people as executive director of the Washoe Housing Authority until July 2001.

She served on the Native American Indian Housing Council, South West Indian Housing Association representative, Nevada/Cal representative, Amerind National Insurance for Indian Housing Authorities, the Dresslerville Community Council and the Washoe Tribal Council. She was an advocate for Indian housing and was responsible for securing funding for the majority of the homes currently built in the Washoe communities of Dresslerville, Carson Colony, Stewart and Woodfords.

She was a sports enthusiast and enjoyed watching her many nieces and nephews playing softball, basketball and football. She also coached and managed women's softball and basketball teams and coordinated national men's and women's tournaments. She served on the Dresslerville Athletic Club and was one of the founding members of the Native American National Fast-Pitch Association.

She was preceded in death by her sister Marcia Lynn Kizer in 1978.

Among her survivors are her mother Marie Simpson Kizer and father Delaney Kizer Sr., brothers Cliff Simpson, Walt Kizer, Leroy Kizer, Mark Kizer, Delaney Kizer Jr., and Craig Kizer and sisters Millie Kizer and Minerva Kizer, all of Dresslerville; brothers Darrell Kizer and Clay Kizer from Stewart; sister Lenora Kizer of Las Vegas and brother Matt Kizer of Berkeley, Calif. and numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. She raised her nephew Tony Kizer.

Burial will be at the Woodfords Cemetery.

Walton's Chapel of the Valley is in charge of arrangements.