Ruth Virginia Summers, 98, passed from this earthly life on September 16, 2025, to her eternal heavenly home. Virginia, as she was known by most family and friends, was born on December 19, 1926, in Sikes, Louisiana to Chester and Eula Erskins. She married "Sikes" on May 23, 1942. They were married for 62 years.

In 1953 Sikes and Virginia bought Pine Island Lodge, a fishing camp on the banks of Big Cypress Bayou. She ran the camp for 10 years until she went to work at the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant during the Vietnam War. She later worked at the Motor Supply Warehouse in Uncertain.

Virginia's favorite thing was spending time with friends and family, and in recent years with her dog Sam. She loved to tell how she came to have Sam. He was a young male rescue dog. She wanted an older female, but Sam had other ideas. To make a long story short, Sam picked Virginia and "rescued" her. She said God sent Sam to her.

She made a profession of faith when she was 15 years old. She loved to tell others about Jesus and the plan of salvation, recently sharing it with someone. She was a member of Karnack Baptist Church for 83 years where she served in many capacities, including teaching the adult Sunday school class. She also delivered meals to people in the community, provided by the Church of Uncertain.

She loved watching birds and deer from her window and taking rides around the place and through the woods in the Gator. She would occasionally ride down the river on the pontoon boat remembering the days of pulling her children and Sikes on skis, even though she never learned to swim. Trips down the river were also a time of remembering the many floods, the drownings, and the speakeasies on the other side of the river.

Virginia was active in her community and was a charter member of the Greater Caddo Lake Association, a group dedicated to keeping Caddo Lake natural. She was instrumental in getting the Caddo Lake Water Supply established and served on the board of directors for many years. For over 20 years she served as President of the Andrews Cemetery Association.

After Sikes' passing, she formed a ladies group called the Dragonflies. It was named that "because somedays they were draggin' and somedays they were flyin'."  The Dragonflies met monthly for about 20 years at Dawn's Crossing and later at Bulldog Pizza to eat and fellowship.

Virginia is survived by her daughters Carolyn Thompson, Sandra Phillips and her husband Michael, and her son Gary Summers. Other survivors include grandchildren Dewanna Sanders and husband Randy, Denisha Brodbeck and husband Todd, Shawn Phillips and wife Virma, Shannon Gayol and husband Rafael, Dustin Summers and wife Niki, Jeff Butner and wife Jessica, and Angie Hopper and husband Chris. She had twelve great grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.

Virginia is preceded in death by her parents Chester and Eula Erskins, brothers Sherman and Atma Erskins, her husband Raymond B. "Sikes" Summers, her son-in-law Kenneth Thompson, her daughter-in-law Nancy Summers, and her niece Judy Miller.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, September 22, 2025, in the Chapel of Downs Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Andrews Cemetery in Karnack, Texas. A visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 9:00 a.m., in the Chapel.