Virginia Lois Bilyeu, a resident of Bend for 17 years, died March 9 at St. Charles Medical Center. She was 71. Visitation will be until 6 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to noon March 15 at Deschutes Memorial Funeral Home. The funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. March 15 in the Deschutes Memorial Mausoleum Chapel with the Rev. Paul Gross of the Nativity Lutheran Church in Bend officiating. Burial will follow at Deschutes Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Bilyeu was born Nov. 29, 1922, in Savana, Wash., to Paul Otto and Ella M. Grosse. She moved with her family to St. John’s near Portland at an early age, attended schools there and later graduated from Roosevelt High School.
On Aug. 26, 1949, she married Emery Bilyeu. The couple moved from Portland in 1977 after he retired. Mrs. Bilyeu was employed as a secretary with the Veterans Administration in Portland. She was an avid league bowler both in Portland and Bend.
She is survived at the family home by her husband. Other survivors include a son, Richard Bilyeu of Portland; and two sisters, Bernice Morton of Sisters and Ann Getty of Portland. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Bend, Box 1146, Bend 97709. Deschutes Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.