LaVonne Jannett (Birkholz) Stueven, age 92, of Howard Lake, passed away Saturday, February 26th, at Hennepin County Medical Center.
LaVonne was born September 4th, 1929 to Louis and Esther (Streich) Birkholz in Stockholm Township. Baptized September 29th, 1929 by C.G. Seltz at St. James Lutheran Church, Howard Lake. Confirmed April 18th, 1943 by Eugene Seltz at St James Lutheran Church. Her verse was John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice. LaVonne was married to Dale Stueven on October 23rd, 1948 by Theo Melinat at St James Lutheran Church.
They had three children and farmed together for 44 years. Besides farming and selling seed corn she loved to garden, play cards with the card party group, work with crafts, sew, embroidery, crochet, quilt, ceramics, greeting cards, and doll furniture out of pop cans. She worked for several years at Timeless Designs where she sewed quilts, shower curtains, bathrobes, and made coordinating picture frames and hat boxes (some of which went to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis). She loved to travel and visited Alaska, Hawaii, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Spain, and Africa. She was a lifelong member of St. James Lutheran Church and enjoyed bible class and LWML. She loved to spend time with family and friends and will be missed by all of us.
LaVonne is survived by her children, Lyle (Maxine) Stueven of Annandale, Pamela Heffern of Litchfield, Kimberly (Nathan) Jopp of Lester Prairie, her grandchildren, Ashley (Justin) Kamphenkel, Tyler (Ira) Stueven, Teri (Eric) Starkey, Jesse Sanden, Jeremy (Heather) Sanden, Adler Jopp, her great grandchildren, Esther, Felix, and Gus Kamphenkel, Letty and Hank Stueven, Ariana and Jameson Starkey, Madison and Brooklynn Sanden, Taylor and Haylee Sanden.
LaVonne is preceded in death by parents Louis and Esther Birkholz, brothers Gordon Birkholz and Kenneth Birkholz, sister Muriel Mattson, sister in law Phylis Birkholz, brother in law Clayton Mattson, nephew John Mattson.
A funeral service will take place Friday, March 4th, 2022 at 2 PM, at St. James Lutheran Church in Howard Lake, with visitation one hour prior. Arrangements were by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Howard Lake.