Virginia Emily Taggares Kercheval Born 2/03/1928 Died 2/24/2022 age 94
Virginia Emily Taggares Kercheval was born February 3, 1928 on a farm north of Prosser, Washington to Peter John Taggares 1st who immigrated to the USA from Greece in 1912 and Mary Kuklenski Taggares of Polish descent. Virginia was the 1st born of 4 children. As a young girl she was a very ambitious young lady working with her father on the farm and later in their family grocery store. As a young girl she was an active swimmer, diver and certified lifeguard. Remembered by her sister Florence as always going out of her way to help people when they were in need. Virginia graduated from Prosser High School in 1946 and attended WSU in Pullman for 1 year.
The summer of 1949 she was married in a double wedding ceremony in Prosser along with her younger brother Pete and his bride Alice to Harold Thompson. They lived in Prosser and then on a farm in Kennewick. Harold was a leader in the development of the Canyon Lakes Real Estate project overlooking the Columbia River. They were married for 4 years. In 1969 Virginia married Ron Kercheval who she was married to until his death in 2002.
Virginia and her husband Ron in 1969 were instrumental in the development and management of Snake River Vineyards a 3000 acre Concord grape and Apple farm located 10 miles east of Pasco on the Snake River. They later became partners in Kenyon Cold Storage in Prosser and Grandview. Virginia was actively involved along with her sister Florence in running their 200 acre vineyard and orchard on the original family farm located by the WSU Experiment Station. In 2012 Virginia was named winner of the Lloyd H. Porter Grower of the Year by the Washington State Grape Society.
Virginia is preceded in death by her husband Ron Kercheval, her father and mother and her brother Pete Taggares II. She is survived by a sister Florence Taggares of Prosser, brother Stanley Taggares and his wife Delores of Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Nephew Pete Taggares III and his wife Sandy and their children Pete IV and Jessica, Niece Kathleen Taggares Gorog and her husband Chris Gorog, Nephew Michael Taggares and his wife Kristine and their children Walker and Kennedy, Niece Connie Taggares Gustafson and her husband Greg and her daughter Ashley, Niece Shelley Taggares Boyle and her husband Tom and their children Kathryn, Joe and Michael, and Stanley Taggares Jr., along with many other distant relatives.
A graveside service will be held Friday March 4th at 2pm at the Prosser Cemetery.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.