A memorial service for LaVaille Anderson, 92, formerly of Estherville, will be held at 1 p.m., Sunday, July 7, 2024, at the Ingham Lake Bible Camp in Wallingford with Renae Behrends officiating. She went to be with her Lord on June 13, 2024, at Hanson House in Council Bluffs, IA. Please join the family at the VFW for lunch and fellowship, following the services at the Bible camp.
LaVaille June (Jensen) Anderson, oldest daughter and first of six children born to Oliver and Leona (Larsen) Jensen was born on December 19, 1931, in Jackson Township, rural Shelby County, IA.
On September 4, 1932, LaVaille was baptized by Pastor P. L. Thorslev at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in rural Jacksonville, IA. On May 26, 1946, she was confirmed by Pastor S. S. Kahldahl at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Harlan, IA. She attended Shelby County rural elementary schools and graduated 75 years ago from Harlan High School with the class of 1949.
LaVaille attended Iowa State College in Ames, IA before transferring to Dana College in Blair, NE where she obtained her Elementary Teaching Certificate and her Parish Worker’s Certificate. Later in life, LaVaille pursued more education, first by taking nursing classes from Colby Community College, Colby, KS. After moving to Wallingford, IA she attended the Iowa Lakes Community College Nursing program to obtain her LPN status, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She enjoyed many years of employment at the nursing home in Kensington, KS, as well as the Estherville Good Samaritan Home.
While in college, LaVaille met Virgil R. Anderson, a seminary student from Audubon, Iowa, in the Dana College canteen. They were married on August 25, 1952, by Pastor G. Christensen at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Harlan, IA. After their wedding, she taught in Herman, NE. while her husband completed his seminary studies at Trinity Theological Seminary, also in Blair, NE. Following his ordination, they moved to a rural parish near Plainview, NE. During 40 years of ministry, they were called to parishes in Flaxton/Bowbells, ND; Kensington/Pleasant Green, KS; and Wallingford, IA. During their 66 years of marriage, LaVaille and Virgil raised six sons, six daughters, a grandson, and hosted several international exchange students.
Community and church activities were an important part of LaVaille’s life. While living in Kansas, she served as a 4-H leader and a Sunday School teacher. Her activities in Iowa included board member of Lutheran Brotherhood, NW Aging Board, local garden club member and officer, Western Iowa Synod Women’s Organization Board, Cluster #3 coordinator, local church handbell choir, senior choir, Sunday school teacher and president of the women’s group. After her retirement, she served as a volunteer with the school’s reading program and secretary of the RSVP board.
Gardening was a favorite hobby. While in Kansas she was credited with planting and tending three large gardens and starting an orchard with many varieties of fruit trees, including an apple tree that had been started in North Dakota, then made the move to Kansas. In Iowa, her interests focused more on flowers. She was active in Master Gardener, attended classes, and completed flower garden projects in Wallingford and Estherville. She took top honors at the local fair for her floral exhibits.
Preceding LaVaille in death were her parents, her brothers Dean, Darroll and Lonnie, her husband Virgil in 2018, and her son Timothy Virgil in1994.
Left to cherish her memory are her children, Paul (Lynne) of Omaha, NE, Ken, Sr. of Ceylon, MN, Lea (Chuck) Holste of Ludell, KS, Larry of Custer, SD, Gloria (Mark) Schukman of Overland Park, KS; Phil (Lori) of Lincoln, NE; Joy (Mike) Rustad of Oskaloosa, IA; Carol (Kenny) Doster of Paris, TN; Lisa (Mark) Siebert of Overland Park, KS; David (Nicole) of Alliance, NE; and Heidi (Steve) Craghead of Conroe, TX; 19 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren; sisters Jan (Bill) Grant of Maricopa, AZ and Kathie Hornsten of Coon Rapids, MN and sister- in-law Karen Jensen of North East, MD.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Ingham Lake Lutheran Bible Camp, 2258 450th Ave, Wallingford, IA 51365.
Online condolences may be left for for LaVaille’s family at HenryOlsonFuneral.com
