LaVonne A. Lorenzen, 88

LaVonne Lorenzen

Marshall LaVonne Alita (Salser) Lorenzen was born on May 21, 1927 to Eber and Gertrude (Cooper) Salser in Sutherland, Iowa; the same day that Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic and landed in Paris. LaVonne grew up in Hartley, Iowa and graduated from Hartley High School. As World War II was ending, LaVonne met Sgt. Dwight Lorenzen at a dance at the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnold’s Park, Iowa, where Les Brown and his Band of Renown were playing with vocalist Doris Day. Their song was always “Sentimental Journey” because of where and how they met. In 1947, LaVonne and Dwight married. After LaVonne and Dwight married, they spent their first few years of marriage farming near Moneta, Iowa and eventually moved to Blue Earth, in 1956. LaVonne lived in Blue Earth until 2013 when she moved to Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall.

LaVonne enjoyed spending time traveling to England, Canada, and Ireland and taking cruises in the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Alaska. She also made frequent trips to Colorado where her sisters lived. She enjoyed spending the winter months in Florida with Dwight and took great pride in her home dcor, and closet full of clothes, shoes, and jewelry. She was also an avid Minnesota Vikings and Twins fan.

LaVonne passed away surrounded by her family on Saturday, May 23, 2015 at Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall.

She is survived by her children, Dennis Lorenzen, of Elgin, and Jan (Doug Pilgrim) Loft, of Marshall; grandchildren, Jed and Wyatt Lorenzen, of Las Vegas, Nev., Matthew Lorenzen, of Elgin, and Kelly (Kari) Loft, of Marshall; great-grandchildren, Dillon and Regan Loft; sisters, Billie Beckman and Darlene McHugh; nieces, Sharyn, Toni Lea, Alana, Denise, and Patty; nephews, Scott, Mark, and Kim; great nieces, Dana, Megan, Katy; and great nephews, Ryan, Jay, and KC.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Dwight; sisters, Eleanor (Cecil) Severence and Opal Vaughn; brothers-in-law, Alan Beckman, Gerald McHugh and Rodney Lorenzen; sister-in-law, Shirley Lorenzen; and great nephews, Jeff.

Memorial Services for Lavonne Lorenzen will be held at Hope United Methodist Church in Blue Earth at a later date.

A special thanks to the staff of Morningside Heights Care Center for their wonderful care given to LaVonne.

Arrangements were with Rehkamp-Horvath Funeral Directors, www.rehkamphorvath.com