LaVerne Anderson

LaVerne Anderson, 84, of Creston passed away Monday, August 26, 2019, at Creston Specialty Care. Celebration of life memorial services will be 11 a.m. Aug. 29 at Salem Lutheran Church. Burial will be private at Graceland Cemetery. Pastor Brian Jack will officiate. Open visitation will be 1 to 7 p.m. Aug. 28 at Powers Funeral Home, with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Memorials are to the Salem Lutheran Church. Online condolences can be given at www.powersfh.com.

LaVerne Arlo Anderson was born October 5, 1934, in Colo, to Ervin Anderson and Beatrice (Pearson) Anderson. The family soon moved to Roland where he attended school and graduated from Roland High School. He attended college at Waldorf and Iowa State University, graduating from ISU with his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricuture Education.

LaVerne served in the Army Reserves from 1957-1963. On June 23, 1957, he was united in marriage to Joyce I. Janssen at the Evangelical Reform Church in Ledyard. They lived in Glenwood, where he taught Vocational Agriculture from 1957-1959, then moved to Spirit Lake and taught there from 1959-1961.

In 1961, LaVerne became the Assistant Manager of Federal Land Bank Association in Algona, where he served until 1962. He then served as the Sioux City Assistant Manager from 1962-1965. They moved to Creston in 1965. He served as the President of the Federal Land Bank Association of Creston from 1965-1985. LaVerne was an offsite manager for Regency Park in Creston and also was the owner, broker and land appraiser at Anderson Agency. He was a 54-year member of the Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, where he served on the church council for many years. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge No. 605 in Creston, Crestmoor Golf Club and was a lifetime member of the ISU Alumni Association and also Lions and Rotary Clubs, serving as officers in each club.

In addition to overseeing management of the family farm, LaVerne took time to enjoy fishing, golfing and extensive traveling in the U.S. and abroad. This included a trip to Norway where he visited his great-grandfather’s farm. LaVerne loved his grandchildren sharing many activities and traveling with them, even taking them to Texas where other good friends lived.

Survivors include his wife Joyce Anderson of Creston; two daughters: Kim (Gary) Riley of Creston and Karmen (Paul) Mattsen of Apple Valley, Minnesota; son Brad (Donna) Anderson of Bentonville, Arkansas; sister Berniece Voga of Story City; two sisters-in-law: Joan Anderson and Judy Johnson; grandchildren: Jesse (Tammy) Riley, Melinda (Jon) Vang, Evan (Maddie) Mattsen, Grant Anderson; and Cole Anderson; great-grandchildren: Emily and Matthew Riley and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews. He had a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by his father Ervin Anderson, mother Beatrice Anderson, step-father Oscar Anderson, his brother Robert Anderson, step-brother Ed Anderson and his brother-in-law Jim Voga.