Esther "LaVerne" Krohmer RN, BSN

1936 - 2025

LaVerne passed away on June 4, 2025, due to health complications at Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, CA. She lived until she was 88 years old. She passed in peace holding her daughter's hand.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, was born to Harold and Esther Krohmer. LaVerne was baptized and confirmed at her Godparents' wedding on August 15th before she reached her first birthday. She was raised in the Ukrainian-Byzantine church of Youngstown, Ohio, where her maternal grandfather, Metro, was a founding father. LaVerne took the confirmation saint's name of Anastasia, also in honor of her beloved grandmother.
When LaVerne was in middle school, her family headed west, taking up residence in the San Fernando Valley area of California. Harold and Esther had three more children, Bill, and twins Larry and Linda. Big sister LaVerne attended Canoga Park High School, L.A. Pierce College, Mt. St. Mary's School of Nursing in Tucson, AZ and Cal State Los Angeles where she completed her degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. At age 35, she gave life to her only child, daughter Laura Michelle, and raised and educated her in the Roman Catholic faith.
In addition to being a loving mother and woman of deep faith, LaVerne was a pioneer in her field as a nurse epidemiologist, establishing departments of Infection Control and Employee Health. She was president of APIC, the Association of Professionals in Infection Control. Her career spanned forty years at a host of well-known organizations: the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation in Santa Monica, South Bay Hospital in Redondo Beach, Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital in Marina Del Rey, UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, USC University Hospital in Los Angeles, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, and Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills before LaVerne retired to her beloved seashore bungalow at Manhattan Beach. After a decade of fun at the beach, LaVerne moved in with her daughter to her 5-acre Ecoranch in the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine where Laura cared for her for the next six years. LaVerne was a member of the St. Rose Society of Santa Rosa Catholic Church, and a parishioner. For her last two years, LaVerne was a resident of the Bishop Care Center.
LaVerne is survived by her daughter, Laura Michelle Blystone of Lone Pine, Sister-in-Law Adele Krohmer, Goddaughters/Nieces Kim Campione and Claire Krohmer, and Cousins Patricia Templeton, Kristy Schlesinger and Angela Tolmasoff.
She is preceded in death by her parents Harold and Esther (Kachig) Krohmer, Siblings Lawrence James Krohmer, Linda Jean (Krohmer) Campione, William Harold Krohmer, Son-in-law Jasper John Blystone, Brother-in-law Edward D. Campione Jr., Cousins Mike Kachig and Robert Ambers, Godparents James and Mary (Kachig) Ambers, and several other beloved relatives and St. Rose Society sisters.
LaVerne lived a beautiful, full life. She was a shining example of her Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, and Agapé, which shone through in her 40-year nursing career, her relationships with family and friends, and most of all, the job she considered most important- motherhood. As her beloved friend Sr. Peg Dolan, RSHM, famously said, "Each of us is a word of God spoken only once." Rest in the Peace of Christ, LaVerne.
On Saturday, June 28, 2025, there will be a Rosary said at Santa Rosa Catholic Church, Lone Pine at 9:30 a.m., a Mass of Christian Burial following the Rosary at 10 a.m., Burial at Mt. Whitney Cemetery at 11 a.m., and a Celebration of a Beautiful Life Luncheon at Crowley Hall following the burial. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the St. Rose Society of Santa Rosa Catholic Church may be made in her honor. Checks payable to "Santa Rosa Catholic Church" and sent to St. Rose Society, P.O. Box 1002, Lone, Pine, CA 93545