Lucy LaVonne (Erwin) DIRKSEN

DIRKSEN, ERWIN, SIMPSON, DUEHR, FAHRER, ANDERSON, DOWDY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/31/2015 at 18:09:58

August 30, 1931 - December 30, 2005

Lucy LaVonne Dirksen, 74, of Waverly, Iowa, died Friday morning, December 30, 2005, at the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

LaVonne was born on August 30, 1931, in Renwick, Iowa, Wright County, the daughter of A. Virgil and Cleone Velva (Simpson) Erwin. LaVonne was baptized and confirmed at the Renwick Methodist Church. She attended school in rural Renwick graduating from the Vernon Consolidated School in 1949. She then attended Iowa State Teachers College graduating with a two year teaching certificate in 1951. She then taught school in Durant from 1951-1952 and Rockwell City from 1952-1953. On July 19, 1953, LaVonne was united in marriage to James H. Dirksen in Renwick, Iowa. The couple made their home in Floyd, Iowa, where she taught from 1954-1956 and then teaching in Rockford, Iowa from 1958-1960, when the family moved to Waverly. While in Waverly, LaVonne was a substitute elementary teacher for many years for the W-SR School System , where her husband, Jim was high school principal. LaVonne became a resident of the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community on August 22, 2001, and Jim died on October 14th of the same year.

LaVonne was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and Women of the Church. Has been a Sunday School Teacher and Vacation Bible School Teacher and a member of Xi Gamma Phi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi and Bridge Group.

She is survived by two daughters, Sue (Jim) Duehr of Dubuque, Iowa, Ann Dirksen Fahrer of Waverly, Iowa, one son, Tom (Robin) Dirksen of Chicago, Illinois; twelve grandchildren, Lindsey and Michael Anderson, Betsy, Joe and Emma Duehr, Ashley Dowdy, Evan and Ethan Dirksen, Lucy, Casey, Andrew and Aidan Dirksen Fahrer. LaVonne was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jim; and two brothers, Loyd in 1985 and Edwin in 1995.

Celebration of Life Services will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Waverly, with Pastor Tony Nester officiating and Greetings from Bartels by Pastor Keith Tomlinson. Burial will be in the Harlington Cemetery in Waverly. Visitation will be held on Monday, January 2nd from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home in Waverly and also for an hour before services on Tuesday at the church. Memorials may be directed to Bartels Lutheran Chaplaincy Fund or Trinity United Methodist Church.

http://www.kaisercorson.com/obituary/Lucy-LaVonne-Dirksen/Waverly-IA/276144