Carla LaRue Virtue drew her last breath on October 11, 2019 surrounded by family in her home in Custer after losing her second battle with cancer.  Carla was born on August 3, 1948 to Ralph and Alice (Wyman) Middlemas in Spearfish, South Dakota, the youngest of four children.  Her family moved around quite a bit as Carla was growing up landing wherever her dad's work took them.  She attended many schools before graduating from Belle Fourche High School.

While in high school she began working as a nurse's aide at a nursing home.  Her job duties looked different when she moved to a different nursing home where she worked in the business office.  She moved to Custer to work at the Custer Hospital in 1968.  She began working at the VA Medical Center in Hot Springs in February 1991 as a ward clerk.  She later moved to the admissions office before retiring from the VA as a coder in January 2013.

Shortly after moving to Custer, friends introduced Carla to Jack Virtue.  They were married on April 17, 1971.  They had two sons, Jason and Corey.  Carla loved her boys and enjoyed watching them participate in football, basketball, track and baseball.  As the boys grew, got married and had children of their own, Carla proudly and lovingly cheered on her grandchildren at their many sporting events as well as music concerts.  Carla also spent many hours volunteering at the Custer school, Storehouse and playing bingo with the residents at the nursing home.  Carla was a lifetime member of the Custer VFW Post 3442 Auxiliary.  She enjoyed reading, traveling, camping, bowling with Jack and collecting tea pots.

Carla is survived by Jack, Jason (Conni) and Corey (Jana) Virtue all of Custer; grandchildren Kyle & Brady Virtue (Custer), Treyton (Michelle Harstad) Virtue (Sioux Falls, SD), Americus Virtue (Little Rock, IA) and Torri, Hayden & Rylie Virtue (Custer); brother Kenny (Bessie) Middlemas (Idaho Falls) and sister Marlene (Tom) Davis (Belle Fourche, SD) and many nieces and nephews.  She is proceeded in death by her parents and sister Dorothy Demianiw.

Services will be held on Friday, October 18 at 10:00 am at Custer Lutheran Fellowship with Pastor Deb Grismer officiating.  Burial and a luncheon will follow.  Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 17 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm with a prayer service at 7:00 pm at Chamberlain McColley's Funeral Home in Custer.