Topic starter
04/12/2013 4:03 pm
Word received this morning of the passing of Virginia Bennett. Virginia was known here in Cincinnati as the harbor mother. Years ago when some of us were young pilots here in the harbor she kept track of us and our behavior on and off the boats.
She was an employee of the Greene Line and was a wealth of knowledge on Ohio River steamboats and their crews. One more link to the old days gone.
04/12/2013 4:12 pm
Another Steamboater Gone from Us
Capt. Bill Kinzeler just phoned the museum with the sad news. I was a teenager on the BELLE of LOUISVILLE when I first met Ginny 40 years ago. She was another of those wonderful river people who were "happy to give" and who generously shared her riverboat memories and memorabilia. She truly reveled in her life on the river.
A long and loud whistle salute in tribute to Ginny's memory!
04/12/2013 4:58 pm
Miss Virginia...
Whenever we passed through Cincy she would greet us on channel 13. I recall passing her apartment at 0200 a.m. and she walked out onto her balcony to wave. Very sweet lady and was well known by everyone who passed by. Working on the river is very isolating but Miss Virginia always took time to say hello and we always looked forward to hearing from her. Many thanks to all of you who got the USCG to name the light in front of her apartment in her name. Well deserved. Luke
04/12/2013 5:07 pm
I will sound the departure bell fours rings on her favorite boat's bell The Steamer Chris Greene. God Bless
04/12/2013 6:14 pm
I am deeply saddened by the passing of Virginia this morning. The river fraternity has lost much today. I first met Virginia more years ago than I can honestly remember. My parents, Robert H. McCann, and myself shared river stories and snacks at Virginia's Ft. Thomas home all those years ago, and I was in awe of all her wonderful river artifacts. She certainly enriched my life.
04/12/2013 8:18 pm
*Virginia Bennett one in a 1,000,000*
Steamboating colleagues:
Just in from a business luncheon with a number of E=Mails backed up RE: passing of Virginia Bennett. Again, one of those 'spooky' days as I've been addressing Christmas cards with her card here on the stand. I 'think' I first met Virginia on the DELTA QUEEN back on/around 1954 or so with my late father when he was on the DQ and wharfboat relating to his periodic visits on behalf of the City of Cincinnati. She also worked in the DQ Purser's Office quite a while in addition to assignments in the GREENE LINE office assisting with payroll along with Purser Bob McCann. She was a real 'gal Friday' with the boat and company. You bet Virginia knew and loved steamboats. Another 'walking encyclopedia' in her own way. I enjoyed many a dinner at the Newport, Ky. home she shared with her late mother; then her home in Ft. Thomas, Ky. with Letha C. Greene and La Rie Greene [Wife of the late Chris Greene], and could she ever cook. Virginia had many vivid memories of not only the Greene boats but the last ISLAND QUEEN and the big CINCINNATI relating stories of trips on the big sidewheeler with her father and mother.
Virginia in her time was quite a young lady athlete and wanted in the worst way to continue studies at college to teach and be a coach. She loved sports from baseball to basketball on the radio and TV. Her river collection, as Frank states, "wonderful." She also had the misfortune to have her purse and car keys 'lifted' once with her car heisted along with some of her river collection, which broke her heart. When you got Virginia, Letha and La Rie Greene at the same table the memories and stories went on for hours. Time passed and I feel guilty now not visiting Virginia more than I did. Virginia, am I forgiven?
Another irony is that I sat today at the same table with cousins of the Geene family who inquired of me about her. Thanks to Taylor Abbott, Bill Judd, Keith Norrington, Luke Moore, Bob Harrison, Frank Prudent for the postings and memories of 'Miss Bennett.' Farewell Virginia, you're only leading the parade with all of us following behind.
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati
04/12/2013 9:23 pm
Virginia Bennett
Sad to hear the news of the passing of Virginia Bennett. Hopefully, someone can post a photo or two of Virginia.
05/12/2013 12:53 am
Ginny at the Behringer-Crawford Museum
Ted, as you requested, here are several images of Virginia, two of them taken in April, 1995, at the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Covington, Kentucky. At the time, Ginny was the volunteer curator of the River Heritage Room and was absolutely delighted to have an entourage of steamboat buffs and buffettes visit on the occasion of an MOR S&D Chapter meeting.
1) Left to right: Vic Canfield, Keith, Capt. Alan Bates and Ginny.
2) "Steamboat Buffettes Extraordinaire": Ginny and Judy Patsch beneath the GREENE LINE flag.
3) I snapped this one of Ginny at the Ohio River Museum in 1974. She always called it "Tugboat Annie"!
05/12/2013 2:33 am
A River Original
While I did not know Virginia well, due to our living on different rivers, I treasure the times I did get to be with her, such as the one Keith has pictured. Whenever Keith and I would venture out to Bobby Harrison's to climb around the hull of the CHRIS GREENE, we always spent the time recalling Virginia stories. While today there are many people available to provide assistance to the passing boats, Virginia was the ultimate Mother of the River. She was there by her marine radio long before the conveniences of cell phones, emails, satellite transmissions were around. Tales of her communications, passing on news to 'her boys' as their boats came through the Cincinnati harbor past her apartment, obvious by the running lights, are legion. Her benevolence was known along the whole river system, and she shared her knowledge and her steamboat treasures with many river friends along that system. We are enriched by having had Virginia among us for so many years. Her legacy will last even longer...
06/12/2013 4:16 am
Dale: I was at a book signing only last Saturday. While there, at the Behringer/Crawford museum, I asked John Boh about Virginia. Their river collection was largely from Virginia Bennett. I met Virginia Bennett back when she lived on the river behind "her" light. She had contacted my to use one of my cannon to start a steamboat race. I met her again, later at a book signing in Newport. She told me that she was hostess on the CHRIS GREENE...so that goes back MANY years. Cap'n Walnut
06/12/2013 3:08 pm
Virginia as River Heritage Room Curator
The Behringer-Crawford Museum couldn't have asked for a better curator to set up their River Heritage Room and catalog the collection, much of it Greene Line materials from Mickey Frye. Ginny told me once that, as she went through all the boxes of papers, there were many ledgers, freight bills and other items containing the names of steamboat people she personally knew from the time of her childhood. She was the ideal person to carefully arrange the collection and make it available for visitors and researchers. Truly, it was a labor of love for her and she spent MANY hours working on it. As Judy stated earlier, Ginny has left a great legacy to all of us. As with so many river people, who have made their final crossings, I know she regarded this as a sacred trust to be carried on and shared. The glow of her enthusiasm buoys the channel for those of us who still "stand watch".
06/12/2013 3:51 pm
Oh my, just think what's going on up in heaven...Virginia, Bob McCann, Horace Lyle, Tom Greene, Letha Greene, Ralph Horton, Cal Benefield, Roddy, Fred Way and all the rest of them are together again. That's quite a group for the Almighty to ride herd over, especially if you throw in C.W. and Alan. Sounds like a party to me.
Seriously, I don't know that Virginia realized how much she meant to her "boys" out on the river. The pilots on our cement run always looked forward to passing through the Cincinnati harbor and talking to Virginia on the radio. She always put them in a good mood because she cared.
06/12/2013 7:36 pm
Connections
Due to the fact that Virginia and I were miles and years apart, with greatly differing steamboat experiences, I was surprised to learn that the first steamboat she rode on was the same as the first steamboat I was on, the President.
08/12/2013 7:39 pm
Virginia's obituary is now online at Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home | Home and Cincinnati.com | Cincinnati local news, sports, business, community, and entertainment | cincinnati.com.
As Vic Canfield posted earlier Virginia's Memorial Service will be at BB Riverboats in Newport, KY with boarding at 1 PM on Monday, December 16, 2013 at the foot of Columbia St.