Virginia Mae Skeens Fries, 83, Paola, died Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006, in St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.

She was born Feb. 3, 1923, in Stanton Township in Miami County. Her parents were William Milton and Hazel LaVerne Ricketts Skeens. She received her elementary education in Wild Creek School in Stanton Township and was a 1940 graduate of Osawatomie High School.

She married John Galland and they made their home in Las Vegas, Nev., where she worked for a telephone company. Mr. Galland preceded her in death.

She later married Robert Fries. After his death, she moved from Las Vegas to Ontario, Ore., to be near her sister. She returned to Miami County in 1996 to be near family members.

Others preceding her in death were two sisters, Frances Geraldine Skeens and Helen Wheatley, and two brothers, Warren Skeens and Bill Skeens.

Survivors include two sisters, Marie Shelden of Osawatomie and Marguerite Sims of La Cygne; and two brothers, Don Skeens of Mission and Milton Skeens of Kansas City, Mo.

Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home in Osawatomie. Her nephew, the Rev. Thomas Sims, will officiate. Visitation will from noon Saturday until service time. Pallbearers will be nephews Allen Skeens, Todd Skeens, Bill Skeens, David Skeens, Warren Sims and Bob Wheatley. Burial will be in Osawatomie Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 430, Osawatomie, KS 66064.