The Industry Has Lost Another Hero
by Dyana Kelley
It is with sadness that I must announce the passing of Virginia Welton, the longtime owner of Orangeland RV Park on January 15th at 103 years of age after a brief battle with cancer.
Many of you will remember Virginia from our birthday zoom tribute at the CalOHA Summit in April of 2022 when she turned 101. Through the magic of technology, we were able to celebrate her life and contributions to the RV park industry while at the same time allowing her to see a room of over 200 people that she helped bring together.
From the day I met her I was drawn to her spirit and passion. She was sharp, witty, fun, and a bit sassy. All the qualities I adore and the fact that she was 97 when we first met made her that much more charming. I stopped by Orangeland one sunny afternoon in 2018 to drop off guides and see the park. Virginia and her daughter, Cindy Wimbish and I sat for a few hours under a newly built gazebo and chatted about the industry. I was still in industry diapers and very much enjoyed the history lesson.
Up until the pandemic Virginia lived in the park and would often be found sitting outside her RV chatting, waving, and watching the comings and goings of “her” park. “Mom was quite proud of her park, that as she would say, ‘Papa built’”, recalled her daughter Cindy Wimbish, noting, “Anyone who met my mom in the 50-plus years that Orangeland has been in operation has probably been shown her Orangeland wristwatch and asked if they know of the park.”
When COVID became real, Virginia moved in with her daughter but that didn’t stop her from keeping track of the park. Larry Jordan, General Manager of Orangeland said, “she calls everyday to ask about her occupancy”.
Virginia partnered with her husband, Eldredge “El” Welton, in building and opening Orangeland in 1972, and the two of them were among the small group of RV park entrepreneurs who co-founded the California Travel Parks Association (CTPA) in 1974. CTPA is still the corporation for the California Outdoor Hospitality Association (CalOHA).
El served as 2nd Vice President when CTPA was first established. He later served as the association’s president beginning in 1979. Virginia served briefly as the treasurer during the association’s formative years. She also compiled annual summaries of CTPA’s accomplishments for several years.
The Weltons were in the mobile home park business decades before building Orangeland RV Park. They owned Val Verde Estates Mobilehome Park in Orange since 1959. El himself had been a member of the Western Mobilehome Association (WMA) for 14 years and helped establish the RV Park Division of WMA in 1973 before leaving the group to help create CTPA.
Both avid RVers, Virginia and El loved traveling the state and the country in their motorhomes or trailers, often traveling for months at a time.
“In the last decade or so, Mom frequently said, ‘I’m not old. I’ve just lived a long time,’ That was definitely true of her, although she probably told anyone she met in the last few years of her life how old she was,” said her daughter, Cindy, adding, “Mom loved nothing more than texting her friends, children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.”
I can personally attest to the love the family had for her when I attended the 50th Anniversary celebration and was able to meet her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who were all there to celebrate a legacy. Virginia will always have a special place in my heart.
The Welton and Wimbish families will be hosting a day of shared memories on Saturday, March 2nd at 12:30 at Orangeland RV Park, in Orange, California.
One of Virginia’s wishes was that there be no “service”. The family is honoring her by sharing happy memories of a life well lived. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to cancer research organizations of your choice in her name.
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