Lavonne Jacobson Waldron

LaVonne Jacobson Waldron, age 86, of Decorah, IA died Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian, IA. Funeral Services will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, November 13, 2010 at the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church rural Decorah, IA, with Rev. Mark Kvale presiding, burial will be in the North Washington Prairie Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home in Decorah and after 12:30 at the church on Saturday. LaVonne MaryAnn (Bersie) Jacobson Waldron was born of Norwegian heritage, on August 13, 1924, the daughter of Bennett and Bena (Selness) Bersie in Mabel, MN. LaVonne “Onne” graduated from Decorah High School in 1941 and upon graduation got a job at the Decorah Journal. After WWII began she moved to St. Paul, MN and got a job tracking railroad boxcars for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (later known as 3M). During the war she felt it was her patriotic duty to correspond with as many Decorah-area GIs as possible. LaVonne married Kenneth (Kenny) Arnold Jacobson on April 27, 1946, in Decorah, Iowa, and to this union, six children were born. In their early years of marriage, Onne and Kenny alternated between farming in Winneshiek County and operating their restaurant the OK Café first in Waukon and later Decorah. In 1961, they moved to Waterloo, Iowa and operated the Jacobson Café, until 1966. Using her outgoing personality and people skills, LaVonne worked full time as a Tupperware Home Parties sales rep and soon became a manager. After 20 years with Tupperware, she transitioned to Watkins Products. Her work in direct sales gave her the flexibility she enjoyed and allowed her to visit her six children and grandchildren in “six different states”. Grandma Onne made it a point to “be there to help” with each new grandchild—from Hawaii to Germany with California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota and Iowa in between. In her semi-retirement years she continued to use those skills in homecare by providing homecare for elderly people. In 1986, she retired and moved to Lansing, IA giving her the opportunity to pursue her life long love of “fishing on the Mississippi River.” Here she met Bill Waldron and they married on October 6, 1989. They lived in Waukon where she remained until 1998 when she moved back to Decorah. In 2001 she moved to Ossian and lived at the Ossian Senior Hospice until her death. LaVonne was a member of the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church and the VFW Auxiliary, where she was a lifetime member. LaVonne’s survivors include her six children: Thomas Ragnvald Jacobson, Ossian, IA; Rebecca Ann (Gary) Owens, Durham, NC; Cynthia Louise Jacobson, Ossian, IA; Margo Jacobson (Tim) Geppert, Fort Collins, CO; Susan Jacobson (James) Tade, Minneapolis, MN; and David Scott Jacobson, Omaha, NE, along with eleven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. One sister: Helen Bersie Strand, Decorah, IA. LaVonne was preceded in death by her parents: Bennett and Bena (Selness) Bersie. Her two husbands: Kenneth Jacobson on June 30, 1974 and Bill Waldron on March 19, 1992. One granddaughter: Tammy Owens on March 2, 2010. Four sisters: Bernice (Bob) Benjamin; Hattie (Alert) Engen; Marcella (Joe) Pint; and Gertrude (H.H.) Barge. One brother: Harlan (Marge) Bersie.