LaVon Stephenson Graham

BELLA VISTA, Ark. - LaVon Iona Stephenson Graham, 86, of Bella Vista died Feb. 16, 2006, at Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville. She was born April 7, 1919, in Preston, Minn., to Frank and Mabel Halla Yanzer. She grew up and was educated in Austin, Minn. She earned her teaching degree and her master's degree from Mankato State University. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ron Stephenson, on May 25, 1985, an infant son, Ronald Dale Stephenson, a granddaughter, Katy Johnson, and a daughter-in-law Nancy K. Stephenson of Newcastle, Wyo. She taught school for 42 years and retired from the Rapid City (S.D.) school system in 1983. She married Ernest Graham on Nov 26, 1988. She enjoyed flowers, gardening, golf, swimming, bridge, crocheting and knitting. Survivors include her husband, Ernest Graham of Bella Vista; four sons, Jim (JR) Stephenson and wife, Nancy of Rapid City, Jack Stephenson of Newcastle, Wyo., Bob Stephenson of Rapid City, Russ Stephenson and wife Barbara of South Hadley, Mass.; six daughters, Bonnie Johnson and husband Dick of Litchfield, Minn., Cathy Lauchlan and husband Peter of Tulsa, Okla., Elaine Gould and husband Sam of Divide, Colo., Lorinda Stofcheck and husband Rick of Bay Village, Ohio, Sandy Glasmire and husband Joe of Center Valley, Pa., Susan Watz of Colorado Springs, Colo.; one sister, Doris Kaiser of Brownsdale, Minn.; 37 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday the 18th at the National Cemetery. A reception will held directly after at Canyon Lake Senior Citizen in Rapid City. For further information call J R Stephenson 209-2700 or jrstephenson@rushmore.com.