LaVonne Virginia (Ersland) PRIEB

PRIEB, ERSLAND, LUTHRO, OLAWSKY, REYES, EVERSON, WESTRE, RUD, BRINKMAN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/9/2013 at 16:55:59

April 5, 1926 --- July 6, 2013

WEBSTER, SD — LaVonne Prieb, 87, of Webster, died Saturday, July 6, 2013, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 10 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Webster, the Rev. Ostercamp will officiate. Burial will be in the Webster Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today (Tuesday) at Fiksdal Funeral Service in Webster and one hour prior to the service on Wednesday.

LaVonne Virginia (Ersland) Prieb was born on Monday, April 5, 1926, to Thomas and Christine (Luthro) Ersland in the family home, rural Hardy, Iowa. She was baptized May 16, 1926, and confirmed October 1939 in the Lutheran faith at Trinity Lutheran Church near Hardy. LaVonne attended grades one through eight in a rural one-room school house, walking two miles to and from school on gravel roads. The first three years of high school she attended Eagle Grove High School, Eagle Grove, Iowa. She was concert mistress of the orchestra, playing violin all three years. Her senior high school year, LaVonne attended Augustana Academy at Canton, graduating in May 1943. LaVonne attended St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., for her freshman year of college. She spent the next year working at Skyberg Chevrolet-Buick Co., Canton, as a secretary and bookkeeper. During this year her immediate family moved to Canton from their farm near Hardy. She and her older sister Marelyn cared for their younger siblings and maintained the household. She then transferred to Augustana College in Sioux Falls for her next three years of college, graduating in June 1948 with a BA degree in economics and accounting.

While at Augustana, she met David Prieb, who had returned to Augustana from the Army Air Corps and they were married on July 10, 1948, at Canton Lutheran Church. She was employed at the John Morrell offices as a relief stenographer during David’s senior year at Augustana. After David’s graduation in June 1949 the couple moved to the Prieb family farm, rural Webster. Two children were born to the couple, Suzanne LaVonne and Laurel David. LaVonne worked for the state of South Dakota as a driver’s license clerk and later as a driver’s license examiner for 27 years, retiring in May 1991. She began at the time the state first began requiring all residents to hold a driver’s license and many citizens did not feel there was a need. Thus, she was faced with many disgruntled individuals, handling them all with her usual patience and grace. David died on Jan. 1, 2010, and after his death, LaVonne continued to live on their farm home.

LaVonne and David were involved in agricultural agencies and Christian music in the area, especially at St. John’s Lutheran Church In Webster. LaVonne served in St. John’s as Sunday School assistant superintendent, Sunday School teacher, adult Bible class leader, accompanist for Children’s Choir, Junior Choir, Youth Choir and Senior Choir. For years she assisted David in choosing anthems for the Senior Choir and maintaining the church music files. LaVonne was an organist at St. John’s for 35 years beginning in the 1960s. LaVonne served on the Memorials and Furnishings Committee, established in 1952 for the newly built St. John’s Lutheran Church, documenting all gifts and directing expressions of appreciation for those gifts. LaVonne has been an active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church Women of ELCA and circles, serving in various positions and accompanying on piano for many general meetings. LaVonne also enjoyed years of membership in the Jr. Websterian Study Club, serving in all positions of office.

Survivors include one daughter, Suzanne (Douglas) Olawsky, Webster; one son, Laurel (Wendy) Prieb, Scottsdale, Ariz.; three grandchildren, Amy (Ruben) Reyes, Los Angeles, Nathan Olawsky, Chapel Hill, N.C., and Natalie Prieb, Scottsdale; one great-grandson, Mark Reyes, Los Angeles; one brother, Harold Ersland, Henderson, Nev.; three sisters, Marelyn Everson, Sioux Falls, Pauline Westre, Cairo, N.Y., and Eunice Rud, Rapid City; sister-in-law, Doris Brinkman, Warrenville, Ill.; and many nieces and nephews. LaVonne was preceded in death by her husband, David; her parents; one brother, Thomas Jr.; one nephew, Tim Westre; one great-nephew, Tim Westre Jr.; one great-niece, Raven Rud; and her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

July 9, 2013
Watertown Public Opinion - Watertown, South Dakota