LaVon Maureen Johnson

LaVon Maureen (Campbell) Johnson, 80 passed away on November 25th, 2023 surrounded by her family. She was born on October 14th, 1943, to Alva Lee and Jannetta (Vander Hart) Campbell of Pilot Mound, Iowa. She attended the Boxholm Evangelical United Brethren Church. LaVon Attended the Pilot Mound Consolidated School through her freshman year. The Pilot Mound & Boxholm schools combined her sophomore year and became the Grand Community School. She graduated from Grand Community in 1961.

LaVon was married to Roger Stevens. They had two children: Colette Justine and Lee Crary. During that time, she did in-home day care and worked at a bakery in Jefferson, Iowa as a cashier. They later divorced.

On November 26th of 1976 LaVon married Torger Johnson. She worked as a custodian in many buildings on the ISU campus in Ames. They lived in Ames until 1980, when they moved to Anita, Iowa. LaVon became the bookkeeper for the Anita Housing Corporation (senior citizen housing). Torger and LaVon became foster parents to 12 different teenagers over the course of 3 years. During those three years they also adopted a son, Samuel Torger Paul and then a daughter Carrie Lynn. LaVon also did daycare for several teacher’s children.
In June of 1986 the family moved to Denver, CO. Torger attended seminary and LaVon worked as an assistant to the housing/kitchen director. Then in June of 1990 they returned to Iowa and lived in Webster City for three years, Victor for 7, and West Bend for 2 years. She served churches in these communities as well. During these years LaVon worked as a substitute public school teacher’s assistant, city day care facility teacher’s assistant, administrative assistant at churches, after school program assistant, morning cook at a community restaurant and an early childhood development teacher’s assistant.

In June of 2002 Torger and LaVon moved to Baxter, Minnesota. LaVon worked at the Crow Wing Power Company and several Brainerd Banks as a custodian. On December 25, 2005 Torger and LaVon moved to the home they built on Little Wolf Lake near Cass Lake, MN to assist in caring for her mother-in-law. She worked at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN as a secretary for 7.5 years. She then retired after her first bout with breast cancer. They then moved to Wilmar, MN until Torger retired from ministry to move back to Iowa to be closer to LaVon’s family, their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and now a great great grandchild.

After moving to Waukee, LaVon became a partner in the Westview Church. She became active in a women’s bible study group, Seasoned Citizens Group and a church small bible study group of which she and Torger hosted in their home.

In August of 2020 LaVon was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer.

LaVon is survived by her husband Torger, daughters Colette (Kevin) Collen and Carrie Johnson, sons Lee (Heather) Stevens and Samuel (Melissa) Johnson. Grandchildren Paul (Jessica) Grabau, April (Wade) Behrends, Mysti Kuhlman, Adam (Brittany) Collen, Nicole (William) Funk, Alexis and Grace Johnson. Great Grandchildren Jasmin and Curtis Sundermeyer, Alexis (Alex) Philips and Hunter Kuhlman, Tristan Grabau, Vivian Lavon and Liam Funk, Ewan Collen. Great Great Granddaughter Willow Sundermeyer. Brother, Earl Campbell and sister, Shirley Erickson. As well as many other friends and family.

LaVon was preceded in death by her parents Alva Lee and Jannetta Campbell, Sister Verla Morgan, Nephews Larry and Roger Erickson and David Campbell, brothers-in-law Duane “Tooner” Erickson and Leo Morgan, sister-in-law Ramona Campbell.

There will be a visitation on Tuesday November 28, 2023 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at Hamilton’s Near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Ave, Des Moines, Iowa. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at Westview Church 1155 SE Boone Dr, Waukee, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family.

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