LEWISTON — Virginia Rawstron Wilding, 88, died peacefully on Friday, March 25, at Marshwood Center in Lewiston.  

Virginia was born at home on June 11, 1922, the daughter of Hazel Arris Rawstron and Albert Victor Rawstron of Auburn. As she came into this world, she laughed, instead of crying as most babies do.

She attended Auburn schools, graduating from Edward Little High School in 1940, and then attending Auburn Maine School of Commerce. During World War II, she and her mother joined the Salvation Army Red Shield Club, helping entertain soldiers with dances, luncheons and social events.

She worked in the Bates Mill payroll office, and was paymaster throughout the mill. She went on to work as a court reporter for the Lewiston Evening Journal. Virginia later became the Journal’s social editor.

She married Arthur Wilding in 1945. They resided in both Auburn and Lewiston, and  finally moved to Sabattus, where they lived for the remainder of their 56 years together. During the ’60s they founded Art Wilding Stables, which they both managed and nurtured until Arthur’s death in 2001, a well-known and well-liked couple on the New England horse show circuit.

Throughout her life, she enjoyed gardening, crossword puzzles, newspapers, local politics and animals. She belonged to the American Morgan Horse Association, the Maine Horse Association, and was a lifetime member of the Maine Morgan Horse Club. She will be remembered by her family for her sense of humor, her love of language and her enduring curiosity. She was unique and original, forever unassuming, and modest to the extreme.

Virginia was predeceased by her brother, Victor Rawstron; and a sister, Joan Everett.

She is survived by her son, Michael Wilding, and his partner, Sandra Harkins, of Durham; her daughter, Melanie Wilding and her husband, Ben Stackhouse, of New London, Conn.; her sister, Priscilla Rawstron, of Auburn; grandchildren, Samantha Leet of Lisbon Falls, and Andrew Wilding of Sabattus; cousin, Loann Robinson of Danville; sister-in-law, Carolyn Rawstron, of Mission Viejo, Calif.; several great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; nieces and nephews; and a very special Persian stray named Button.

The family would like to thank the staff at Marshwood for their good care.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com.