Ina LaVonne Brown

Beaver City, Nebraska Ina LaVonne Brown, age 98, of Mapleton, Iowa passed away on February 1, 2015 at the Maple Heights Nursing Home, in Mapleton, Iowa. She was born July 13, 1916 in a sod house on a farm south Hendley, Nebraska to Claude and Gertrude (Dillon) Query. She received her schooling in the same country school that her mother attended. She graduated from high school in 1933 At tender age of 13, LaVonne gave her heart to Jesus, was baptized, joined the Methodist Church, and has been a faithful member for well over 80 years. In 1934, while working at the Bakery in Beaver City, Nebraska, she was called home because of the death of her beloved mother. She helped her dad care for two younger brothers and two little sisters age five and seven for over four and a half years. There was also one older sister in her family. In July 1939, LaVonne was united in marriage to Roland Brown of Wilsonville, Nebraska. They made their first home for one and a half years in Wilsonville. In mid November, 1940, they moved to Orleans, Nebraska where Roland was Superintendent of Schools for seven years. It was here that their two sons were born, Tommy Lee and Lonnie Dean. In 1947, the family moved to North Bend, Nebraska where Roland was Superintendent of Schools. It was a North Bend that a great tragedy occurred in the family. Tommy was killed in a car-train accident. He was a senior in High School and would have graduated in the spring of 1959. In the summer of 1959, they moved to Mapleton, Iowa where Roland served as Superintendent of schools for 21 years. LaVonne made Mapleton her home for the rest of her life. Roland passed away September 24, 2001 at the age of 86. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Roland, son Tommy, two brothers Edward & Berner Query, two sisters Barbara Wonert and Bernice Morse. She is survived by her son Lonnie and wife Beverly Brown of Decorah, Iowa 2 grandchildren: Jennifer Haas at Frisco, Texas Jason Brown at Chesapeake, Virginia 3 great-grandchildren: Sister: Wanda Bingham of Logan, Utah Condolences or personal reflections can be left at wenburgfuneralhome.com There will be no viewing or visitation. Funeral services will be Sunday, February8, 2015 at 2 PM at Wenburg Funeral Home, Beaver City, Nebraska with Pastor Daryl Kats, officiating. Interment will be held at the Hendley Cemetery, Hendley, Nebraska. Wenburg Funeral Home of Beaver City, Nebraska is in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be directed to St. John’s United Methodist Church, 212 South 7th St., Mapleton, Iowa, in LaVonne’s honor.