Virginia remembered her experience as she woke up to paramedics asking her questions. "Was it a near death experience? I believe it was," said Virginia.
Today Virginia draws strength knowing she is in God's hands. "I have always believed there is a supernatural. I have experienced ESP [extra sensory perception] at different times and am in the process of writing a book about God," said Virginia, who belongs to a charismatic prayer group at San Marco Catholic Church and also sings in the church choir.
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"Father was the youngest of five sons raised on a farm. He brought much honor to the family graduating from high school and going on to business college," said Virginia. Successful as a business person, he opened an oil distribution business supplying oil to area farmers. "My father was 43-years-old when he married my mother, who was 20 years younger, and came to America from Ireland at the age of 16 to live with her Aunt." Virginia adored her father and mother and described their marriage, even with the age difference, as very long and loving.
She describes herself as a bit mischievous and tells of an experience when she was about 4-years-old. "There was an old couple living next door with a little coal shed in back of their house. My little boyfriend next door about the same age and I went down into their shed to play with the old bottles and coal. After playing awhile, we realized we were stuck in there. We cried and screamed and nobody heard us. There was one tiny dirty window in the shed and our hero turned out to be a 16-year-old fellow walking with his girl who heard our screams and rescued us. We were covered with coal dust from head to foot and had little white lines down our faces from crying."
The town had a community swimming pool that was a big attraction. Virginia went to the movies on Saturday with her brother. "You could buy a huge ice cream cone for a nickel," said Virginia. Their large brick house was surrounded with land. "Father shot off a safe fireworks display every Fourth of July for the family and all children in the neighborhood."
To her delight she inherited her mothers beautiful singing voice and love of music. "I remember sitting in church over the years and hearing my mother sing solos," said Virginia, who later studied voice at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and sang solos at weddings, receptions and private parties.
In high school, she wrote stories for the school paper. Writing and history would bring much satisfaction through out her life. Horseback riding and dancing were high on her list of favorite pastimes. When she was 18, Virginia left home to live with her Aunt and attend DePaul University majoring in journalism and creative writing. She joined the Sigma Alpha Iota professional music fraternity while also studying voice. Virginia supplemented her income working as a secretary, continued to write and fell in love with journalism.
While attending a college basketball game with friends, one of the fellows in the bleachers asked, "Who is that red head?" After a proper introduction, Jim Carlin and Virginia began courting. "That was the big band days," said Virginia describing the fun she and Jim had going on group picnics and hay rides before he proposed. Their large church wedding was one of the highlights of her life.
As Jim and Virginia started married life, Jim commuted to Chicago and worked as a supervisor at CNA Insurance. After 10 years of marriage and three children, Virginia went to work using her skills as a secretary and for the next 18 years, worked for Great Lakes Region General Motors Corporation in a top secretarial position.
Before there was extra money, Jim and Virginia took their family on camping trips. Later, vacations with the children included the New York World Fair, visits to Cape Cod and Williamsburg.
Jim Carlin's brother, John, who was an attorney, moved to Marco Island after he heard a Deltona ad promoting Marco and came to check it out. Jim and Virginia came to visit John and his family for vacations starting in the 1970s. In 1987, they too made the decision to move to Marco Island. They both loved island living. Six years later, while vacationing together in Washington, Jim had a massive stroke and died.
Living on Marco, Virginia began writing a weekly newspaper column called This 'n That. In her column, she was free to write on whatever subject she wanted. As a new member of the Historical Society, many of her stories were on the colorful pioneers in Marco's past. Some members of the board suggested she write a book about Marco including the stories written in the paper. It took two years and a lot of interviews and research to complete the historical book, I Remember Marco ... A Tale of Two Villages.
Virginia stays busy these days volunteering once a week at Tommie Barfield Elementary School. She gave every fourth grade student their own copy of her book. Teachers at the school use it in their classes to teach students about Marco Island history.
Her other activities include serving on the board of the Historical Society, a member of the Woman's Club and Alumnae Club.
Taking a trip to Ireland every two years to visit her six adopted Irish children who belong to a distant relative is a highlight for her.
Virginia has become a very real part of the history she has loved since she was a child growing up. When Virginia and husband put their roots down on the small island, what would be more fitting than to dig into lives of those that had called Marco home so long ago? Fascinated with the early pioneers of Marco Island and even further back with the Calusa Indians, Virginia has opened doors to the past for everyone to read about.
History is still very much a part of her life today. Like so many through the years that have come to this island and found their own place in the sun, Virginia admits, "I'm hooked on Marco."
