Lavonne Ruther 1942-2006

HALL, RUTHER

Posted By: michael (email)
Date: 1/11/2006 at 09:21:31

Lavonne Ruther, 63, of Iowa City died Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at Mercy Hospital of pneumonia.

Funeral Services will be Friday, January 13, 2006 at 11am at Zion Lutheran Church with the Rev. Dwight DuBoise officiating. A reception in the church hall will follow the services. Burial will be at a later date in Boxholm, Iowa. Friends may call Thursday from 5 to 7pm at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Lavonne was born August 11, 1942 in Jefferson, Iowa, the daughter of August and Lavina Hall Ruther. She was raised on a farm near Boxholm, Iowa and was a 1960 graduate of Grand Community High School.

Lavonne’s childhood ambition was to become a nurse and in 1963 she graduated from the Evangelical Hospital School of Nursing in Marshalltown. She received her BSN degree in 1965 and her MA in Nursing in 1969, both from the University of Iowa College of Nursing. Her nursing career was spent in nursing education. Lavonne taught at the Evangelical Hospital School from 1965-67 and at the University of Iowa College of Nursing from 1969-2001. She was an assistant professor whose primary focus was to teach beginning nursing students the fundamental courses which would be the basis for their nursing career. Lavonne especially enjoyed teaching students at all levels. She retired in 2001.

Lavonne’s special friends, “The Lodge” and “The Committee” will serve as her casketbearers.

Lavonne is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Dana and Tony Vazzana and her two grandchildren Audrey and Benjamin of Kirksville, Missouri; one sister Norma Stinger of Newton Square, Pennsylvania; two brothers Alan (JoAnn) Ruther and Kyle Ruther of Ogden, Iowa; seven nieces and nephews, Bill Stinger, Sandy Ramsberg, Mark Ruther, Carol Smith, Marva Ruther, Paul Ruther and Kelly Ruther; her aunt Elin McFarland of Boxholm, Iowa.

Lavonne was preceded in death by her parents and brother-in-law Warren Stinger.

Online condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com