Virginia “Ginger” H Staten

Mrs. Virginia “Ginger” H. Staten, 85, died Monday, July 13, 2026, at home (The Magnolia at Oxford Commons).

The funeral will be held Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. Don Gann officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 9:30 A.M. until the time of service. Burial will follow in Oxford Memorial Cemetery.

Mrs. Staten was born July 6, 1941, in College Hill, MS, to the late Eva Tolson and James Dawson Hamilton. After graduating from Taylor High School in Taylor, MS, she moved to Landstuhl, Germany for a short while and later returned to Oxford, MS where she worked for over 20 years as a teller at First National Bank.

Music was a lifelong love, beginning with piano lessons alongside her lifelong friend, a devotion to country music before it was fashionable, and cherished trips to the Grand Ole Opry. She also loved to travel to the beach every chance she got. But her true passion was shopping, especially for her grandchildren and for her home, and her eyes would light up any time she came across Blue Willow China. For years, she and her beloved husband of 50 years, Hal P. Staten, hosted an annual hayride at their farm in Taylor, MS, for their grandchildren, family, and friends, complete with a bonfire for roasting hot dogs and making s’mores.

Mrs. Staten was a consummate homemaker, gardener, and cook who took great joy in her lovely and welcoming home. Countless hours were spent in the garden and preserving its harvest so that family and friends could enjoy it throughout the year. She took great pride in a beautifully decorated, well-kept home and yard with flowers blooming in every season.

Family was everything to her, and she cherished time spent with grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and cousins in College Hill and Taylor. She loved her church, First Baptist, and her faithful Sunday School class, Karis 1, and lit up whenever she received their regular cards of encouragement, even when she was no longer able to attend.

She kept a non-negotiable standing weekly appointment with her trusted hairdresser. Mrs. Staten was strong and a fighter against all medical odds, a shining example of thriving through difficult times with her eyes always fixed on her Lord and Savior.

Mrs. Staten was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Hal P. Staten.

She is survived by her son, Marvin Smith, and his wife, Jeannie, of Oxford, MS; two grandchildren, Staten Smith Carter (Dylan) of Oxford, MS, and Dawson Grissinger Smith of Atlanta, GA; and two great-grandchildren, Hallie Grace Carter and James Mathew Carter. She is also survived by her brother, James Eugene Hamilton (Pat), and two nephews, Josh Hamilton and Neut Hamilton.

The family is deeply grateful to her wonderful caregivers at the Magnolia, and especially to her beloved caregiver and companion, Ms. LaKrystal Armstrong, who was by her side always, caring for her like no one else could.

Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Mrs. Staten’s memory may be made to First Baptist Church of Oxford, 800 Van Buren Avenue, Oxford, Mississippi 38655.