LaVonne Young

LaVonne Winnefred Young, age 96, of Waukon died Friday, July 24, 2020 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Private graveside services were held in the Locust Cemetery, north of Decorah near Highlandville. Mengis Funeral Home of Mabel, MN assisted with arrangements.

LaVonne was born July 5, 1924 in Fremont Township, Winneshiek County, Iowa, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Entsminger) Safford.  She was baptized at about age 13 in the Mississippi River near Guttenberg and confirmed at St. John’s  Lutheran Church in Locust. She attended rural schools and then the Decorah High School.
February 14, 1942 she married Jesse Young at the Lutheran Parsonage in Cresco. Together they raised their four children, Robert, Emma, Phillip and Willet, on the family farm.

LaVonne worked alongside her husband milking cows, doing chicken chores, driving horses and tractor when needed, and raised a large garden, much of which was canned to feed the family. She was a very patient and loving person. She was a good seamstress making clothes and quilts, and many other things for her family and church bazaars, and was an excellent baker.

LaVonne is survived by her daughter-in-law, Sandy (Vern) Gavle (previously married to Robert), of Decorah; her daughter, Emma Thompson (Bud Gavle - previously married to Frederick) of Decorah;  her sons, Phillip (Sheryl) of Waukon and Willet (Rhonda) of Decorah; 12 grandchildren: Bobbie Kay (Jeff Brink) of Waukon, Ronald Young of Ossian, Nancy (Aaron) Gipp of Decorah, Kathryn Thompson (Kevin Peterson) of Houston, MN, Maynard (Rhonda) Thompson of Cresco, Brandon (Erika) Young of Denver, CO, Blair Young of Los Angeles, CA, Brea Young (Alex Longuefosse) of Tampa, FL, Shannon Young (Daniel Fullhart), and Jordan (Hannah) Young, Justin Young and Ryan Young (Lexy), all of Decorah; 23 great-grandchildren: Robert (Taji) and Jesse Anderson, Joseph, Victoria and Cassidy Young, Isabella Gipp, Justin and Michael Bigler, Bryer, Trystin, Brayden and Brenden Thompson, Alexus and Jayda Romero, Alex Longuefosse Jr., Rowan Young, Colton, Kinley and Weston Young, and Adrian Young; and one great-great-grandchild, Maverick Bigler.

LaVonne was preceded in death by her husband of 74 years, Jesse; her parents, Joseph and Mary; her son, Robert Young; a brother, Charles; a sister-in-law, Imogene; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Evelyn (Walter) Quandahl; a son-in-law, Frederick Thompson, Sr.; a grandson,  Frederick Thompson, Jr.; a great-grandson, Thomas Young; and two nieces, Carmelita (Allen) Deters and Helen (Jerry) McCormick.