Columbus Koeth VIRNELSON^[1]

1915 - 2001  (86 years)

• Name	Columbus Koeth VIRNELSON
  Birth	9 May 1915	Portsmouth City, VA   [2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  WWII	7 Oct 1941	Richmond City, VA   [5]
  	Columbus enlisted at Richmond on 7 October 1941 as a private in the U.S. Army. According to his enlistment record he had completed four years of high school. He was single and without dependents. His height was noted as 64 inches and his weight as 120 pounds.
  Occupation	Before 2000  [2]
  	He made his living as an inspector for Seaboard Coastline Railroad.
  Death	11 Jun 2001	Portsmouth City, VA   [2, 4]
  	Columbus died on 11 June 2001 at his Gloucester Avenue home in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was 86 years old at the time of his death.
  Burial	14 Jun 2001	Portsmouth City, VA   [2]
  	Burial followed a graveside funeral service that was held at 3:00pm on Thursday, 14 June 2001 at Oak Grove Cemetery in Portsmouth.
  Person ID	I1710	mason
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2026

  
  

  Father	Columbus Watts VIRNELSON,   b. 24 Feb 1880, Portsmouth City, VA d. Nov 1965, Portsmouth City, VA (Age 85 years)
  Mother	Flora Lena KOETH,   b. 31 Nov 1873, Maryland d. 28 Jan 1929, Portsmouth City, VA
  Marriage	12 Jan 1914  [3]
  	The couple was married on 12 January 1914.
  Family ID	F3869	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Alice Adell RENSHAW,   b. 19 Aug 1921, Virginia d. 15 Sep 1962, Virginia (Age 41 years)
  Marriage	1950	Pasquotank Co, NC   [6]
  	The couple was married in Pasquotank County, North Carolina in 1950.
  Children	1. Sarah Lee VIRNELSON   2. Florence Maureen VIRNELSON   3. Keith E. VIRNELSON   4. Mark A. VIRNELSON
  Family ID	F119	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2026

  
  

• Photos		1920 US Census / Virnelson, Columbus 741 Emmet Street, Portsmouth, Virginia.
  		1930 US Census / Virnelson, Columbus 1046 B Street, Portsmouth, Virginia.

  
  

• Sources

  [S2961] Columbus Watts Virnelson will (1965), Portsmouth, VA Will Book 17, p. 508. [S1843] Columbus K. Virnelson obituary, The Virginian-Pilot, (Norfolk, VA) 13 June 2001. [S4280] Yerby, "Virnelson family data, 1839 - 1973". [S861] Columbus K. Virnelson. SSN 719-01-2381. SSDI. . [S1844] Columbus K. Virnelson. U.S. WWII Army enlistment record (1941). [S3040] North Carolina, Marriage Index, 1741 - 2004.. Columbus Koeth [incorrectly entered as Keith] Virnelson - Alice Adell Mains marriage, Pasquotank Co, Book 6, p. 201.