Mrs. Virginia Kanning

Virginia was born in Hickory, NC and moved to Jacksonville, Fla. when she was 10 years old. This is where she met her future husband Stan at Grace Lutheran Church in 1955.

After moving to Coral Springs, Fla. in 1974 with her husband and 3 young sons, Virginia graduated from Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton, Fla. and worked for JM Family Enterprises Inc. for 15 years.

Since moving to Everglades City, Virginia serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of the Museum and serves Everglades Community Church as Treasurer and a member of several committees.

Mitch Peters

Mitch was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his music career began about age 10, playing piano, organ and singing in church with his brother and sister. he later, sang with a traveling boys trio and became the church organist at age 12.

During the next few years, he was Staff Musician at King Recording Studios, where many hit records were recorded. He also worked in TV and music events.

He joined Bobby Vee, whose hits included “Devil or Angel” and “Please Don’t Ask About Barbara”. The band toured with other big names of the time, such as Connie Francis and the late Roy Orbison.

He joined the USAF and served in Special Services, entertaining all around the United States. He proceeded to tour for the next 12 years before moving to Marco Island in 1972.

In 1974, Mitch won a Dove Award, the award for the gospel division of the Grammy Awards, for his original song, “A Father’s Prayer”. The song was made famous by the Blackwood Brothers.

From 1972 until 1985, Mitch was the Entertainment Director for The Deltona Corporation and joined The Marco Hilton in 1985 and worked until New Years Eve, 2000.

Mitch has served several times as Chairman of the American Cancer Society Benefit held in honor of the late Faye Gober in the Banquet Hall above Stan’s Idle Hour Restaurant in Goodland.

Mitch has worked the last few years in Sales and Marketing for QRS Music and now Brookside Marina, continuing to play special events around Southwest Florida.