Lavon Dunlea Laube 1911 -2006

DUNLEA, LAUBE, QUADE, KURTZ

Posted By: Judi (email)
Date: 12/27/2006 at 19:01:24

Telegraph Herald Wednesday Dec 27, 2006
DUbuque, Iowa

Lavon Dunlea Laube

Lavon Dunlea Laube, of Dubuque, left this world peacefully, at home, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2006. She was 95 years of age.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dubuque. Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the church. Burial will be at Linwood Cemetery after the memorial service. The Egelhof, Siegert and Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 Kennedy Road, is in charge of arrangements.

She was born on Sept. 10, 1911, in Dubuque, the only child of Dennis Dunlea and Mina Quade Dunlea. When Lavon was eight-years-old her Ireland-born father was killed in a boiler explosion on the Chicago Great Western Railway. For the remainder of her early years Lavon lived with her mother, her aunt Emily, and her grandparents.

Lavon was an excellent student. In addition, her ability to sing and to play the violin led to her participation in school plays and operettas. It was during her role as the lead in the operetta "Cinderella" that she caught the eye of a young stage hand, Paul Laube. The ensuing partnership lasted more than 75 years.

The desire of these two bright and idealistic young people to be together led to a series of decisions about college and jobs that kept them in close proximity. They were married in June of 1936, after Paul had graduated from the University of Iowa Medical School. While he interned at Bellevue Hospital in New York, Lavon taught English and coached debate at Poughkeepsie High School. Their first child, David Dunlea, was born the day after their second wedding anniversary. Soon thereafter the family moved to New Haven, Conn. Lavon's mother came to help with the baby while Lavon worked at the main desk of New Haven Hospital, where Paul was doing his residency.

Pearl Harbor changed everything. Pan American Airways offered Paul a job as flight surgeon for its flights between Brazil and West Africa. He jumped at the chance, knowing that it might lead to an opportunity to practice medicine in China, a dream that he had harbored since childhood. However, at that time the State Department would not issue passports to wives who couldn't contribute to the war effort. This meant that Lavon would have to take courses in nursing. Lavon spent afternoons with David, worked the evening shift at the front desk, and attended Red Cross nursing classes and studied in the mornings. Sleep was optional. After one year in Africa, Paul was transferred to Calcutta, India. Due to her long hours of work and study, Lavon was able to accompany him. Little David, aged 5, was left in the care of old and dear friends at Yale.

The next six years saw the family in Calcutta (where Douglas William was born), west China (Edgar John), north China (Lavon Paula, and where David rejoined his family), and south China. Paul had signed on to teach surgery at a Chinese medical school temporarily located in west China due to Japanese occupation of its original campus. The Chinese civil war prompted subsequent moves and, ultimately, forced the young family out of China altogether in May of 1949.

The China years provided a rich source of shared family experiences. Lavon was in demand as a wife and mother, a teacher of English, and as a hostess in the foreign community - all the while dealing with a world beyond the gate, which was where food and supplies for the household were to be obtained. It was a complex and demanding environment, with language a constant challenge. Occasionally a 3-year-old (Eddie) or a 4-year-old (Doug) would be called in to translate. To this day, the remaining friends from that era, Chinese and others, send their love and best wishes.

The family of six finally settled in Dubuque in 1950 - 14 years after Lavon and Paul had left their place of origin. Sara Louise came along in 1951. Initially, Lavon taught school as a substitute while Paul got his surgery practice up and running. Eventually the demands of a large family overtook other concerns and Lavon's life became more conventional and recognizable.

However, she continued to seek stimulation, variety and the creative efforts of others. She loved music and used the volume knob to great advantage when waking children up for church. She read constantly. She claimed to dislike cooking, but managed to make many wonderful and original meals without opening the cookbook.

Lavon created arts and crafts for her own pleasure and sewed clothes for humans and dolls alike until her eyes failed. She loved children and often gave them her complete attention for long periods of time. By the same token she was quick to see artifice and hypocrisy, yet gentle in explaining why people would resort to such behavior.

Above all, Lavon was a full partner and comrade for Paul Laube, a person whose relentless enthusiasm and curiosity would have worn others out. Long after the world had slowed its demands and weakened its intrusions, these two sought growth and received enjoyment in each other's company. They took delight in the shape of a rock on a Mississippi sand bar or the turn of a phrase by an NPR host. Their generosity was deep and private. The dictionary was always within reach, as was the hand of the other. Together, these two left a legacy of love and commitment that inspires those of us who remain.

Survivors are the children, David D. (Carol) Laube, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dr. Douglas W. (Janet) Laube, of Madison, Wis., Edgar J. Laube, of Madison, Paula Laube, of Iowa City, and Sara (Edward) Kurtz, of Spring Hill, Kan.; the grandchildren, Jordan Laube, Jason Laube, Elke Kurtz, Eddie Kurtz, Gifford Laube, Anna Laube, Emma Laube, Anne Laube and Julia Laube, ; and the great-grandchildren, Taylor Laube, Paul Omar Laube, Jacob Laube, Alexandra Laube, Josephine Laube and Elizabeth Laube.

In lieu of flowers, a Lavon Laube Memorial Fund has been established.

Mom, we send our great love and appreciation as you and Dad sail away. You two are a tough act to follow. Godspeed.