(21 December 1968 - July 12, 2013) (7 children)

seven children:

Aaron Virl, born October 31, 1969;

Jared Virl, born November 1, 1970;

Virginia Marie, born April 15, 1972;

David Virl, born December 6, 1974;

Olivia Marie, born March 30, 1976;

Hyrum Virl, born September 2, 1977;

Joseph Virl, born November 16, 1978.

Has 10 grandchildren: Madalyn, Jameson, Daniel, and Ryan (born to son Aaron and wife Nancy Felt, married April 26, 1991); Alexis and Paige (born to son Jared and wife Heather); Jordan and Hunter (born to daughter Virginia); and two granddaughters (born November 5, 2001, and January 14, 2004, to son David and wife Michelle Cope, married December 23, 1998).

I returned home from my mission in September of 1968. My family was still performing on the Andy Williams Show. Even Donny and Marie were involved now. They were starting to write music and record their own records. Everyone was so busy and I felt like I was moving in slow motion and they were buzzing around me.

In October of the same year, I went to church one Sunday and I showed up at the chapel an hour too early because everyone had gone off daylight savings time except me. Well, there was one other person that was there in the foyer who also showed up too early. Her name was Chris Carroll. We sat and talked for an hour and I knew right then that I had found my eternal companion. We had our first date on Halloween. We were engaged in November and were married on December 21, 1968.

Well, Mother would have none of that. She decided to turn the apartment building I was managing and living in, into a fan club! I quit school and Chris and I began receiving 4 to 6 bags of mail a day! Some how, my Mother was determined that every piece of mail would be read. Well, we poured through the piles full time and found that a lot of the mail was just an inquiry as to weather a Mormon could marry a non-Mormon because girls wanted to know what their chances were with Donny. But we were surprised that there were so many inquiries about our religious beliefs. There were also many heartbreaking letters from young people with so many kinds of problems and sadness in their lives. My Mother wanted them answered and so my Mother and my sweet Wife Chris began a letter writing campaign that lasted for over 3 years!

Chris and I now had our fourth child David and I was – yes, still in school – and my brothers were starting to get interested in marriage. First Merrill and Mary were wed, then Alan & Suzanne, and then Wayne and Kathy. Then there was the popularity of the Donny and Marie Show.

Through all this, Chris and I remained quite isolated in a sense. We lived in a little rental in South Provo and I was trying to finish up my art degree. But when they broke ground for the Osmond Studio in Orem, the Fan Club got moved there and Mother and Father were determined that all of us would work there together! So, I put my college education on hold again, and went full time into Fan Club work again and publishing and public relations for the brothers. It makes my head spin now when I think of it and the hard work, time and effort that went into being a part of everything going on in that studio.

Chris and I were living in a sweet little split level home in Orem, Utah at the time. It was very modest and we preferred life that way. I stayed involved with the Fan Club part time, sold Insurance part time and went back to school part time.

For the next 20 years both Chris and I worked at several jobs. She worked for some years at WordPerfect Corporation and other companies and I did everything from photography to publishing to insurance sales. We moved a lot and we pretty much concentrated on just loving and raising our children to the best of our ability. Finally, I went back to school and in 1996 I graduated from Brigham Young University in Graphic Arts and have been working in that field ever since. That is, except for 2 years when we moved to Branson, Missouri after all our children were raised, to work at the Osmond Brothers’ Theater while they performed there. It was a funny thing to do at that point in our lives but it was a fun experience.

Chris and I are now settled in Utah County Valley and we work together as a team. She is a writer and I am a graphic artist and we work on projects together. All our children are married now and we have 20 grandchildren.

Last February 2009 I was involved in a car accident that caused me to develop a stroke. I have been healing from that ever since. My wife has been by my side every minute of every day helping me. I am so very grateful for her putting up with me for these 40 years. She has been through a lot with me over the years. She’s even written a book about Marriage that we will be offering soon on this web site. I will let her tell you about it. Just link onto “my Companion” page.

They were married for almost 45 years.