LaVon Marlett Kersten

LaVon "Bonnie" Kersten, 90, of Fort Dodge passed away Friday, July 21st, 2023, at Simpson Health Center, Friendship Haven. A visitation and Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, August 15, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Laufersweiler Funeral home. The burial will be held at Corpus Christi Cemetery. LaVon Marlett Jenkins was born on December 27, 1932, to parents Lloyd Harry and Lola Irene (Peterson) Jenkins in the town of Alcester, SD. Bonnie attended K-6 grade school in Alameda, CA, until the family moved to Vermillion, SD, and finished her schooling and graduated from Vermillion High School. She then attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. On April 20, 1952, she was married to Denis Wiewel in Vermillion, SD, and the couple made their home in Fort Dodge. She was homemaker and loved raising and caring for her children. Bonnie loved to fly and pursued her pilot's license which she received in 1961. On March 11, 1987, she married Don Kersten, and they continued to live in Fort Dodge. Bonnie is survived by her daughters, Holly (Rich) Hickman of North Redington Beach, FL, Ann (Leroy) Gessmann of Cave Creek, AZ, Susan (Doug) Nicholas of Scottsdale, AZ; she ...[more]

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"Grand" to her grandchildren, Lauren Conway, Lindsey Van Deilen, Marisa Dahl, Ted Casady, Abbey Schroeder, Emma Nicholas, and Maddison Nicholas, step grandson Clay Hickman and step great grandson, 8 great grandchildren, son-in-law Ed Casady of Fort Dodge,sister, Loretta Dunbar of Dallas TX, and her sister-in-law Sharon Jenkins of Santa Barbara, CA, numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Bonnie is preceded in death by her parents, stepfather Buck Kelley, daughter Teresa Casady, brother Terry Jenkins, husbands Denis Wiewel and Don Kersten. Bonnie was a past Brownie Leader at Cooper School, and a member of P.E.O. and was past President for P.E.O. Sisterhood JX for many years. She enjoyed volunteering whenever she could whether that was at her church First United Methodist Church where she was longtime member or being an auxiliary volunteer at Trinity Regional Hospital or Hospice. Bonnie was a part of Bridge Club for 50 years with long time Fort Dodge friends and very proud to read for the I.R.I.S. Program at Iowa Central Community College. The family would like to say thank you to Friendship Haven and to Unity Point Hospice for their great care and compassion shown to their mother, Grand, and Gi Gi. Memorials may be left to Unity Point Hospice of Fort Dodge.