Valeria Stroud Vinson, 94, died on Jan. 22, 2013, after a brief illness.

She was born on Aug. 20, 1918, in the Enterprise community below Clanton.

Valeria was the only daughter of Izora and Noah “Man” Stroud.

She was preceded in death by two loving brothers, Lois and Barney, whom she adored.

Determined to “show her daddy” she would become a nurse, she put herself through nursing school at Bryce Hospital at Tuscaloosa State Hospital and graduated June 1, 1942.

She served countless patients in 50 years of nursing by working in several locations in the U.S. during World War II and in Montgomery hospitals in areas such as the recovery room, private duty and as director of nurses for four nursing homes, before retiring.

Valeria was married to Cecil E. Vinson for 45 years before he preceded her in death in 1988, and was the proud mother of one son, Carl E. Vinson of Tallahassee, Fla., and wife, Melissa.

She had two grandsons, Charlie Vinson and wife Nichole of Pensacola, Fla., and Michael Vinson of Tallahassee, Fla.

She is also survived by a number of nephews and nieces and their families.

Family remembers her fun-loving, fast car driving younger days and her love of and competitive spirit while playing dominoes and bingo.

Vinson lived in Montgomery after WWII and upon retiring from nursing was an active member of the Montgomery Area Senior Citizens Center.

Upon falling and breaking a hip in 2011, she moved to Tallahassee to be closer to her family and enjoyed living in Broadview Assisted Living until her death.

Services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, with the family greeting guests beginning at 1 p.m.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m.

Both will be held at Leak Memory Chapel in Montgomery, and a short graveside service will follow at Montgomery Memorial Gardens.

Flowers are welcome, but in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Big Bend Hospice, (Memo: Hospice House), 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308; or Christian Family Services, 2720 S.W. Second Ave., Gainesville, FL 32607.