Veronica LaVon Lemke

GARNER - Veronica LaVon Lemke, 88, of Garner died Sunday (March 6, 2011) at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt. Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Friday at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner with Fr. Donald Hertges officiating. Burial will be at St. Boniface Cemetery with military rites by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit. Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 P.M., Thursday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner with a CD of A rosary at 4 P.M. and a Scriptural Wake service at 6 P.M. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church. Veronica LaVon Lemke, the daughter of Bernard and Cecil (Bryant) Knoll, was born March 20, 1922 on a farm south of Klemme. At an early age she moved with her family to a farm northeast of Garner and later into Garner. LaVon graduated from Garner High School in 1939 and was employed by R.E. Nesbit until March of 1943. She then enlisted in the USNR (WAVES). LaVon served as a laboratory technician in Navy hospitals until her honorable discharge in November of 1945. On January 15, 1946 she was married to Leon C. Lemke at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner. They lived in the Garner area their en...[more]

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e lives. LaVon was employed by Dr. A.G. Landon, DDS until 1969. She then continued her education at NIACC to obtain her nursing degree and license. She worked at North Iowa Mercy Hospital, Concord Care Center, and the office of Dr. L.R. Fuller, MD until her retirement. LaVon also worked part-time at Erickson's Pharmacy and Tammy's Pharmacy. She was a devoted wife, mother, homemaker and nurse. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, knitting and crocheting. She was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Grand Regents, American Legion, VFW Auxiliary and WIMSA. LaVon is survived by her three children, Renee (Sid) Heitmeyer of Garner, Gary (Linda) Lemke of Billings, MT and Douglas Lemke of Garner; five grandsons, Jamie (Linda) Lemke of Casper, WY, Benjamin Lemke of Billings, MT, Darin (Nancy) Carolus of Reno, NV, Colin (Jenny) Carolus of Vinton and Grant (Holly) Carolus of Waterloo; six great-grandchildren, Austin, Ryan, Levi, Nolan, Emily and Rachel Carolus; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Leon, July 21, 1984; brother, Elmer Knoll; and five sisters, Elsie Dorenkamp, Isabelle Dankbar, Irma Haaf, Rita Juhl and Lorraine Swalve.