Hanford church mourns beloved member who died in car crash

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Hanford assemblage is mourning the abrupt nonaccomplishment of 1 of their ain the nighttime earlier Christmas. Just minutes aft Virginia Lowe celebrated Christmas Eve work astatine her religion she died successful a car crash.

For those who emotion Virginia Lowe the value of her nonaccomplishment is overwhelming.

The 68-year-old was an enormous, loving, beingness astatine her religion successful Hanford.

"You didn't person to cognize Virginia to beryllium loved by her and truthful those who were known truly good by her, it feels similar household was lost," said Candace Cortez, the enforcement pastor of Koinonia Church.

She was profoundly progressive successful the assemblage and had spent the days starring up to Christmas worshipping, preparing for the holiday, and astir importantly, spending clip with those she thought of arsenic family.

Just minutes aft leaving religion she, for an chartless reason, pulled into a driveway disconnected Hanford Armona Road adjacent 16th Avenue arsenic she backed retired of the driveway her Nissan Altima collided with a GMC Acadia heading east.

Virginia was taken to the infirmary wherever she died.

"It conscionable happened truthful fast, and we virtually had conscionable taken a household representation with her little than an hr before," said Nate Ferrier, Friend of Virginia. "In fact, it was connected her phone, and I told Virginia, substance it went to maine erstwhile you get home, and she ne'er made it home, and truthful I'm hoping to get that representation I'm moving connected that."

The operator and passengers successful the GMC were besides taken to the infirmary with injuries.

Although Virginia didn't person children of her ain she became a surrogate grandma to teens astatine her church.

"My lad is 16 years old, and if I had a precocious time astatine the church, helium would spell find Virginia and get a thrust from her," said Cortez.

"She loved teenagers."

"She would instrumentality my girl retired thatch her however to not lone thrust the horses, but attraction for the horses, you know, provender them, brushwood them, bash each that," said Ferrier. "And they conscionable spent a batch of clip unneurotic retired connected horseback riding done the countryside, and conscionable had in-depth talks astir beingness and God."

Executive Pastor Candace Cortez said Virginia was progressive successful galore ways from serving connected the elder committee helping with the religion finances to starring the welcoming committee and moving the astir fashionable tiny group.

Without her, they volition person to determination guardant with dense hearts.

"She's not replaceable," said Cortez. "She's not replaceable, truthful that's not successful the cards for us. We don't get to regenerate her, but the task volition get done, and radical volition inactive beryllium loved, but it volition consciousness antithetic for sure."

Funeral arrangements haven't been announced astatine this time.

For quality updates, travel Kate Nemarich connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.