LaVonne "Vonnie" Foreman

LaVonne Delores Gerdon, the second of five children, was born to Robert and Pearl (Voss) Gerdon on March 9, 1932 on a farm known as the Cottonwood Creek area northwest of White River in Mellette County.
Vonnie attended grade school at Cottonwood Creek Country School, White River Public School and Prospect Valley Country School in Mellette County. She graduated from Belvidere High School in 1951.
On April 15, 1952, she was united in marriage to Milton Foreman while he was home on furlough from the Army. While her husband was serving in Germany, Vonnie attended Black Hills Teacher’s College in Spearfish the summer of 1952 where she received her teaching certificate. She taught at the Buffalo School south of Belvidere for two years. In 1954, when they lived at the Thode place, she taught at the Prospect Valley School south of Horseshoe Butte.
For many years Vonnie stayed home raising her two children and helping her husband on the ranch. In 1962 they purchased Milton’s parents’ place and moved north of Belvidere to the Foreman farm-ranch.
Vonnie always raised a beautiful garden and enjoyed canning and sharing her produce with family and friends. She took pride in her yard. Vonnie was known for her love for art, which included watercolor and oil paintings. She showed her paintings at various art shows. Vonnie painted pictures for relatives and friends throughout the years. She also enjoyed sewing, attending craft club and bowling.
Vonnie held summer jobs outside the home. She was employed at the Double H Cafe in Belvidere for ten years and for thirteen summers she worked at the 1880 Town.
Vonnie was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Belvidere and the Belvidere American Legion Auxiliary Post 144 where she served several terms as secretary or president. She was also a member of the Belvidere Art Club and Kadoka Craft Club.
Grateful for having shared her life are her two children, Ronda Dennis and her husband, Rick, of Kadoka; Rod Foreman and his wife, Kim, of Hyannis, Nebraska; four grandchildren; Lori Iversen and her husband Aaron of Murdo; Bobbi Jo Davis and her husband Chris of Rapid City; two grandsons Ryan Foreman of Jamaica, Brent Foreman and his wife Jessica of Lincoln, Nebraska; one great-grandson Carter Iversen; one great-granddaughter Taya Iversen; one sister, Charlotte Blom and her husband Willis of Philip; a brother Roscoe Gerdon of Tucson, Arizona and a host of other relatives and friends.
Vonnie was preceded in death by her husband Milton on April 3, 2005; one infant son Neil; a grandson Mitchell Foreman; her parents; and two sisters, Myrna Gerdon and Mardell Ufen. 
Memorial services will be held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 20, at the Belvidere Presbyterian Church in Belvidere, with Pastor Gary McCubbin officiating.
Interment will be in the Belvidere Cemetery.
A memorial is established.  Memorials may be directed to Ronda Dennis, P.O. Box 136, Kadoka, SD  57543
Arrangements are with the Rush Funeral Chapel of Kadoka.

MEMORIAL SERVICE
Thursday, December 20, 2007 – 2:00 p.m.
Belvidere Presbyterian Church
Belvidere, South Dakota

CLERGY
Pastor Gary McCubbin

MUSIC
Syd Iwan – Organist
Kim Foreman – Vocalist
“On Eagles Wings”
“Beyond The Sunset”

USHERS
Tom DeVries – Mike Blom

HONORARY PALLBEARERS
All Relatives and Friends in Attendance

INTERMENT
Belvidere Cemetery
Belvidere, South Dakota

Service Details

Memorial services: 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 20, at the Belvidere Presbyterian Church in Belvidere
Interment: Belvidere Cemetery.

Guest Book

Flowers