MT. VERNON - Virginia R. (Bovard) Highsmith, a former resident of Mt. Vernon, passed away on April 29, 2011, in Benicia, Calif., at age 96. She was born Feb. 15, 1915, in New Marion, Ind., to George W. and Vina (Rea) Bovard. She spend her childhood in Holton, Ind., moving at age 14 to Mt. Vernon, where she graduated from Mt. Vernon High School in 1933. She attended the University of St. Louis and the St. Luke's Hospital of Nursing, St. Louis, Mo., graduating in 1937 as a registered nurse. She married Dr. Roy A. Highsmith of Mt. Vernon in 1938. She continued to work as an RN at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis until Roy was called into the U.S. Army Air Corps for WWII. In 1946, she returned to Mt. Vernon, where Roy practiced medicine and she worked as a nure for the Mt. Vernon public schools. In June 1951, Roy was recalled to active military duty with the Illinois Army National Guard and sent to Santa Barbara, Calif., to prepare to enter the Korean War. He then decided to make the Army a career. Virginia started what would be numerous relocations. After living in Herlong, Calif., she returned to Mt. Vernon and in March 1953, embarked for France with four sons. Returning from France in 1956, she lived in Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Washington, Okinawa, Maryland, Michigan and California, where she resided in the San Francisco Bay area. She moved to Clayton, Calif., in 2007. Virginia was first and foremost a mother and Army wife, raising four children while moving many times. She was an organist, playing in church and later in her home. She was also a writer of poetry and short essays centered on her life experiences. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and two sisters. She is survived by four sons, Roy A. Jr. and wife Zena of Belton, Texas, James A. and wife Judy of Vallejo, Calif., David L. and wife Lorraine of Reno, N.V., and John R. and wife Theresa of Monrovia, Calif.; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A Christian funeral service was held in Novato, Calif., with interment at Valley Memorial