March 28, 2024

LaVerne Bovaird

Prescott

LaVerne Bovaird, 93, of Prescott died May 15, 2015, at Corning Nursing and Rehab.

Celebration of life services will be 10 a.m. Friday, May 22, at Mercer Center United Methodist Church. Interment will be in North Fairview Cemetery in Lenox. Visitation will be 3 to 7 p.m. today with the family present 5 to 7 p.m. at Ritchie Funeral Home, 124 S. Main St., Lenox. Memorials may be given to Lenox Community Trust/Education Scholarships/Heifer Projects. Online condolences may be left at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com.

LaVerne Lena (Burkhalter) Bovaird, daughter of Louise (Heuwinkel) and William Burkhalter, was born April 19, 1921. The family moved to Jasper Township in Adams County in 1923; they attended church and Sunday school at Fairview, and she attended rural school.

In 1935, the family moved to the Mercer Center community. She graduated from Corning High School in 1939, studied normal training, and taught in Adams County rural schools about nine years.

On Oct. 17, 1948, LaVerne married Donald Bovaird in Mercer Center. They made their home on farms in Adams County. They purchased and moved to her current home in 1961. She worked on the farm.

She was a long-time member of Mercer Center United Methodist Church. As a youth, she was active in Epworth League. She served as church pianist/organist at Mercer Center, Sunday school teacher and superintendent, and United Methodist Women president, all for many years.

LaVerne is survived by her daughters, Karen (husband Ron) Saltzman of rural Corning, Kathleen (Kathy) Liebenguth of Bellevue, Neb., Donna Glynn of Plattsmouth, Neb., and Carol Bovaird of rural Prescott; grandson Steven Saltzman of Ames; granddaughters, Jessie Liebenguth and John Rundall of Ames, Amy Saltzman and Govind Persad of Denver, Colo., Abby (husband Brandon) Jacobson and their son Gabriel of Bellevue, Neb., Kelsey Liebenguth of Lincoln, Neb., Elizabeth Glynn of Creighton, Neb., and Laura, Anna and Mariah Glynn of Plattsmouth, Neb.; 11 nieces; 17 nephews; along with many great-nieces and -nephews, several cousins and other relatives.

LaVerne was preceded in death by her husband; Donald’s parents, Claude and Ethel Bovaird; her parents; brothers and sisters-in-law, Arthur Burkhalter and Merle, Edwin Burkhalter and Eleanor and Arnold Burkhalter and Lavetta; sisters and brothers-in-law, Freida Crane and Edward, Esther Burkhalter, Marie Brown and Darrel, Rosenia Hunter and Jim and Lillian Brown and Roscoe; brother-in-law Carl Bovaird and wife Vera; son-in-law Dan Glynn; one niece and two nephews and other loved ones.