Lavonne Winters Brandt

LaVonne Winters Brandt, 84, of Frankville, IA, died Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at Aase Haugen Home Memory Care in Decorah, IA. Funeral services will be held Monday, March 18th, at 11:00 AM at Frankville Presbyterian Church with Rev. Gary Catterson officiating. Burial will be at Frankville Cemetery. Friends may call from 9:30 AM until the time of services Monday at the church. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

LaVonne Sophia Winters Brandt was born July 6, 1934, in Waukon, IA, the daughter of Leonard and Minnie (Flage) Snitker. She attended Ludlow country schools and on September 27, 1950, she married LeRoy Winters in Winneshiek County. To this union, five children were born: Gary, Cindy, Peggy, Bonnie, and Deloris. In August of 1974, LeRoy passed away. On December 28, 1974, LaVonne married Wayne Brandt at Frankville Presbyterian Church and with this union, she gained three more daughters: Karen, Karlene, and Konnie. Wayne was the love of her life and passed away in April of 2003. LaVonne had this to say of Wayne: "Each time I went in my bedroom, I had Wayne's and my picture on the dresser and I told him each time that I love him and always will. We were meant to be together and I know God meant it to be. We had the most beautiful marriage any two people could have. Our love was from day one on our first date and will last forever."

LaVonne spent most of her adult life living in Frankville, IA, and it was a community she loved fully. From being a member of the Frankville Fireflies (wives of the firefighters), being grand marshal with Wayne at the Frankville Days parade, or playing cards and having coffee at the Old Store; Frankville was a place she never wanted to leave. LaVonne was also a very active member at Frankville Presbyterian Church, serving as an elder and on many boards and committees. LaVonne made the church her daily priority, if just to empty the dehumidifier. Always a hard worker (something that she taught to her children as well), LaVonne drove a milk truck for the Frankville cheese factory, worked at Wapsie Produce in Decorah, IA, and also worked nights at Northern Engraving in Spring Grove, MN, before moving to the location in Waukon. She retired in May of 2003.

She could grow anything and loved her flowers and gardens; LaVonne tended to a large vegetable garden and did a lot of canning and freezing of the produce. She also enjoyed bowling and fishing and knew how to cook great fish.

Survivors include her children: Cindy (Larry) Olson of Gunder, IA, Peggy (Bob) Bakken of Isanti, MN, Bonnie (Dave) Zidlicky of Ridgeway, IA, Deloris (Wes) Spilde of Belvidere, IL, Karen Olson of Lincoln, NE, Karlene Schmidt of Great Bend, KS, and Konnie (Jack) Malloch of Colorado Springs, CO; her grandchildren: Heather (Dan) Scannell, Jarrod (Kelli) Olson, Dina (Eric) Thatcher, Darin Bakken, Carrie (Mike) Whitmire, Travis (Erin), Johnny (Hillary), and Christopher (friend Chloe) Zidlicky, Kelly, Kathy, and Brad (Sherri) Olson, Kaleb (Becki) Curtis, Amanda Fichter, and Duncan (Wryleigh) and Spencer (Jen) Malloch; 23 great-grandchildren; a brother DuWayne (Laurayne) Snitker of Waukon; and three sisters-in-law: Janet Snitker of Waukon, Patty Snitker of New Port Richey, FL, and Mary Lou Snitker of Oceanside, CA.

LaVonne was preceded in death by her parents; husbands LeRoy Winters and Wayne Brandt; her son Gary Winters; a granddaughter Chonda Spilde; her sister Jane Snitker; brothers: Donald, Leonard Jr., Lloyd, David, Earl, Dennis, and infant LeRoy Snitker; and three sisters-in-law: Joyce, Phyllis, and Loretta Snitker.

Honorary casketbearers are her nephew Brian Snitker, Kris Meyer, Rhonda Koening, and Tess, Barb, and all the nurses and CNAs from 2 Rivers Memory Care Unit of Aase Haugen. Casketbearers are her grandchildren.