Edna Vann

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Edna Lavonne Vann, 83, of Mountain Home, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, at a local care center.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Cremation was under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

Lavonne was born on May 3, 1931, to Mary (Daniel) and James St. Arnaud, the granddaughter of Elmore County pioneers.

She was raised in Idaho, being schooled in Atlanta, Caldwell and Mountain Home.

Her senior year of high school she met the love of her life, Herbert R. Vann, an Alabama man newly stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base. After a whirlwind romance, Lavonne graduated from Mountain Home High School on a Friday and was married the next morning, May 21, 1951. The two left immediately for Fairchild/Suisun AFB, in California.

While stationed in Topeka, Kan., their first child, Shoni Kay, was born and died.

Herb soon after left the Air Force and Lavonne and Herb moved to Florida to be closer to the Vann family. After a short stay both Lavonne and Herb missed Idaho and returned to Mountain Home.

Herb was working at the post office when Lavonne gave birth to their son, Steven, and five years later their daughter, Joni, followed.

By that time, Herb began his lifelong career with Intermountain Gas and Lavonne began her lifelong career in the dental/medical field, starting at the Dr. John Bideganeta/Dr. Malone Koelsch Clinic, a career she loved.

With an Intermountain Gas promotion in 1970, the family moved to Boise. Lavonne was a stay-home mom for a few short years and then went back in the medical/dental world, retiring in 1991.

Family was the most important part of Lavonne's life.

Weekends were spent at the family home in Featherville.

She enjoyed fishing, boating, cooking for hunting camp as well as for any other occasion.

She always wanted a large family so adopting anyone her children brought home was sure to happen.

Her two children were her greatest joy, only to be heightened by the birth of Steve's triplets. Grandkids! Finally!

It seemed that Lavonne's life was to give to her family, always doing for them, but the blessing we received having her in our lives taught us to give ourselves to others.

Lavonne was beautiful inside and out, a strong role model and teacher to her children, a faithful and caring wife, a friend.

Lavonne is survived by her husband of 64 years, Herb, son Steven and his wife, Cinda Vann, their triplets, Allie, Alexis and James, all of California, daughter Joni and her husband, Allan Harris, plus four step-grandkids, Chris (Spring) Harris, Jason Harris, John Hamman and Mindy Idleman, and nine step-great-grandkids.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Shoni, and her brother, Jack.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials in Lavonne's name be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, 6126 W. State St., Suite 305, Boise, ID 83703, to help fight dementia.