Virgil Theodore (Rose) Egolf was born on May 8, 1906 to Leona May Hart and Edward Rose. A medical accident at his birth left him blind in one eye. His nickname was "Precious" because he was considered to be precious by family members. In 1908, his sister Garnette was born. In 1910, they came down with diphtheria. Virgil recovered but Garnette did not survive.

Virgil's parents divorced in 1912. In August of 1914, Leona remarried to Eli Egolf. Edward Rose, Virgil's biological father, joined the Canadian army and was discharged ca. 1921.

The Egolfs moved from Grant, Michigan to Muskegon, Michigan. On October 3, 1917, his sister Vernadine V. was born. In 1918, Virgil was the first in his grade school class to get influenza. Although he got well, two of his classmates died. On July 20, 1922 another sister, Elaine, was born. Virgil left school in the 9th grade to begin work. His father Edward Rose died in the fall of 1928.

During the depression, Virgil worked at many jobs including a textile mill for several of years. Around 1938, he met and began dating Hazel Fox. Virgil tried to join the navy in World War II but was turned down because of the blindness in his eye. But a few months later, in September of 1942, he was drafted into the army and served in the tank corps. Hazel and Virgil married in 1944. In the fall of 1945, Virgil was discharged and he returned to Muskegon. He worked and lived near his mother and stepfather. Hazel died in 1970.

Several years after Hazel's death, Virgil married Louise Acquire. She died in 1983. As he grew older, Virgil's vision deteriorated in his good eye. In 1985 he had a corneal implant. In the hospital he developed an infection and pneumonia and died on September 25, 1985.

Source: a one page biography written by Elaine Egolf Miller in 1999.