Virginia Swanson was the daughter of Charles and Florence Shinnebarger Swanson, born in Cotton Hill, Sangamon County in 1909. Her father was a blacksmith there. The marriage of her parents ended by 1912. In 1920, her mother was remarried to William Sayers, a farmer in Normal, IL and Virginia had an eight year old step-brother. In 1930, Virginia was listed as the step- granddaughter of Edward and Rosa Lyons and was living with them in Bloomington with her two brothers, Eugene and Charles and a step sister, Rosa. (Her brothers had been living with the grandparents since 1920) Her mother was married to Leland Armstrong, a foreman at the Portable Elevator plant. In 1940, when Virginia was enjoying an active professional life, her mother was married to yet another man, Dale Woods. In the 1930 and 1940 censuses, Florence was working as a registered nurse.
Despite this history of instability, Virginia thrived as a student at ISNU between 1927 and 1931. Virginia was active in three debate societies, was a Phi Kappa Delta and performed with theatrical groups. She was a member of the League of Women Voters and on the Student Council. All this activity presaged her adult life. She taught school in Putnam County for six years before her marriage to Vincent Jones. Vincent was an engineer for a barge company in 1938, the same year Virginia ran for Putnam County Treasurer. In 1939 Virginia was hired to run the Putnam County Library.
Virginia died in 1995, in Pinellas County, Florida, just a few years after the death of her husband, Vincent.