LaVonne Anderson-Stewart

LaVonne Anderson-Stewart, 91, went "home" to be with her Lord and savior on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, after a brief illness with brain cancer.

She spent 13 days at Fairview Care Center in Dodge Center.

Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5, at Pine Island United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Carolyn Westlake officiating. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. She has bequeathed her body to the Mayo Foundation.

LaVonne Ruth Streiff was born on the family farm near Douglas on April 14, 1925, to Bert and Maude (Kunz) Streiff. She attended the District 5 school and spent most of her life in the Douglas and Pine Island areas, only a few years with her family in the Berne area.

On Dec. 20, 1941, LaVonne married Howard Anderson. They farmed together in rural Pine Island and raised seven children. Traveling in the motor home and celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary were major highlights. Howard passed away in October 1992 while en route to Arizona.

LaVonne held jobs outside of the home, including at Waters Conley and St. Marys Hospital and retired in 1991 from Decorah Cabinets in Zumbrota.

She had a wonderful laugh and smile and loved telling us stories of her life.

She met Delbert Stewart in 1993, and they got married on Dec. 17 of that year at the UMC in Pine Island. They have enjoyed a good life together, collecting antiques and their gorgeous flower gardens, having lived in Dodge Center since November 2005.

LaVonne was a quilter of many different styles; her most "amazing" are the dozens of the "yo-yo" quilts she has made. She also loved to read, sew, go to the casino, make homemade chicken noodles soup and spend time with her family and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Del. They both have depended greatly on children Jim and Sandra Anderson and Debra and Rick Niemeyer these past several years. The other children are David and Nancy Anderson, Marianne and Ed Klingsporn, Judith Willing, Linda and Joe Musel and Gary and Mary Anderson; 17 grandchildren, Kristine, Kyle, Brad, Donna, George, Elizabeth, Jenny, Shelly, Wylie, Barbara, Nicole, Eric, Cari, Ronnie, Penny, Dina and Jenna; 29 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; stepchildren, Dennis and Darlene Stewart, Debra Barnes, Diane and Galin Rooney, Billy and Jill Stewart and Cheryl Uthe; eight stepgrandchildren; sisters, Lois (Ron) Yule, Jane (Ron) Shumaker and Donna Hess; brother, Richard (Karen) Streiff; and sister-in-law, Genevieve Streiff.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Anderson; sisters, Ivaleen Meyer and Celia Minter; two sisters-in-law, Sally Streiff and Florence Streiff; brothers, infant Delbert, Donald and Haven Streiff; and son-in-law, William Willing.