Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

Virginia Alice (Ginger) Snow

January 25, 1946–May 20, 2021

Ginger Snow was born to Harold and Zora (Jackson) Snow on January 25, 1946 in Dayton, Wash., and passed away at home in Starbuck on May 20, 2021. With help from caregivers and faithful friends, Ginger's desire to remain at home was made possible.

During her early childhood, Ginger's family lived in Dayton. A country girl at heart, Ginger was thrilled when her family moved to the former home of Zora's great-grandparents in the upper Tucannon River valley. Ginger's father farmed while Zora cared for her elderly great-aunt, Frankie King Delaney.

Ginger's favorite childhood memories were of years spent living at the "old King place" at the bottom of King Grade. The place had been homesteaded by Ginger's great-great-grandparents, William and Sylvania (Cantonwine) King. King's home had been a stagecoach stop on the route from Walla Walla to Lewiston. Ginger enjoyed sharing memories of living in the ancestral home that held so much history.

When Ginger was elderly, she and a cousin made one last trip up the valley from Starbuck, where Ginger wandered down memory lane. The house is gone, but memories linger on down through the generations.

Ginger liked attending elementary school in Marengo's one-room school house. She loved even more roaming the Tucannon hills and valley on her horse. She and her horse competed in barrel racing and Ginger was proud to have been on the Dayton Days Rodeo Court. If an event involved horses, Ginger was likely there.

After graduating from Dayton High School in 1963, Ginger attended Walla Walla Community College with an interest in studying Criminal Justice. However, her love for horses that she shared with her mother eventually led Ginger to the San Francisco area, where she spent her career working at race horse tracks. She was happy to have met several world-famous jockeys, and was in her element as she warmed up horses before races, groomed them and was delighted to eventually own her own race horse.

When Ginger's mother's health bailed, Ginger moved to Starbuck, where she cared for Zora until Zora's death several years later. Ginger was proud that her mother had been Columbia County's first licensed female airplane pilot.

Ginger was close to her aunt, Ginny Jackson. Ginger too young to remember when Ginny and friend, Gene Autry, came from Hollywood to Dayton and presented a live show at the Liberty Theater in the late 1940s. Ginger proudly displayed the photo of Ginny and Gene.

As Ginger's mobility declined, long-time friend, Zonia Dedloff, made certain that Ginger was well supplied with Zonia's cookies, cakes and pie to sooth Ginger's sweet tooth.

Preceding Ginger in death were her parents, Zora Snow, Harold Snow of Walla Walla, brother (Henry) Hank Snow, uncle James Jackson, aunt Ginny Jackson Eggers and grandparents Bob and Maud Jackson.

Ginger is survived by her son, Shane Snow, two nephews Robert and Dustin Snow and many Jackson cousins.

A graveside service will be planned at a later date.