Lavon C. Waldner, age 97, of Estelline, SD and formerly of Huron, passed away on Friday, August 30, 2019 at the Estelline Nursing and Care Center.
Her funeral service will be at 10:30 am on Friday, September 6, 2019 at Welter Funeral Home in Huron with burial following in the Ideal section of Riverside Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 pm on Thursday at Welter Funeral Home; or visitation one hour prior to the funeral service.
Lavon was born on November 10, 1921 in Humboldt, SD, to Fred J. and Emma Marie (Wilck) Fehlhaber. She graduated from Humboldt High School in May of 1939 and was Co-Valedictorian. After high school, Lavon rode the train to Huron in 1939 to start a new job with the state AAA office. While living in Huron, she met Isaac “Ike” Waldner; they were united in marriage on November 9, 1941 in Humboldt. They moved to Springfield, MO, after Ike enlisted in the US Army to serve during WW II. Lavon worked at the O’Reilly General Hospital in Springfield for one year, which was a receiving hospital for war casualties from the European Theater, mostly France. While Ike continued to serve in the Army, Lavon moved back to Humboldt where she remained until Ike’s honorable discharge from the Army in 1946. They re-located to Huron later that year. She worked for Huron Credit Bureau from 1953-1963, Prairie States Insurance from 1963-1965, and concluded her working years as legal secretary at the law firm of Anderson & Hutchinson from 1967 until her retirement in 1993.
Lavon organized the first youth bowling program in Huron in 1962. She was a longtime coach and certified bowling instructor and served on its board for many years. She also served on the state board of the South Dakota Women’s Bowling Association and league office. But Lavon’s activities and interests didn’t stop there. She loved to travel, seeing many different countries in her lifetime. She also loved to travel with her bowling teammates to the national tournaments for more than 20 years. She loved her Thursday dinners at the Huron Area Senior Center, and when she was at Sunquest Village, she loved playing bridge with her friends there. She also was a big fan of Blackjack and loved going to the casinos when she could.
Lavon’s love of the Minnesota Twins was legendary and lifelong, with trips to the old stadium whenever she could. One highlight of her later years was when her traveling bowling team too her to the new stadium for a pair of games.
Lavon was a member of American Lutheran Church, life member of WIBC, Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame, American Legion Auxiliary, UTU Auxiliary, Huron Senior Center, Huron Country Club, AARP, and CNW Federal Credit Union. She enjoyed bowling, golfing, traveling, and reading.
Lavon is survived by one daughter, Jeannie Fitzsimmons of Panama; two sons, Allen Waldner of San Rafael, CA, and Jerry Waldner of Riverview, FL; two nieces, Shella (Bud) Groom of Richardson, TX, and Denise (Kenneth) Kettelson of Burlington, NC; and one brother-in-law, Clifford Gross of Rapid City, SD.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one son, Richard in 1956, her husband Ike in 1977, two brothers, Harold and Eddie, one sister, Elinor Magnuson, and one sister-in-law, Rosaline Gross.
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