LaVern A. Warner

MASON CITY LaVern A. Warner, 87, of Mason City, died Sunday, October 30, 2011, at Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, November 4, 2011, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, with Pastor Dan Gerrietts officiating. Visitation will be from 4:30 PM 7:00 PM, on Thursday (November 3, 2011) at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery with Military Honors by the Mason City Veterans Memorial Association. Memorials may be directed to the LaVern A. Warner memorial fund in care of the family. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com.
LaVern was born March 8, 1924 to Arthur and Ida (Kruger) Warner in Fayette, Iowa. He was the 8th of 13 children born. They moved to Rockford in 1927 and to Mason City in 1930. He was baptized at the age of 10 at the First Christian Church in Mason City. LaVern attended Mason City Public Schools. He was drafted into the Army in 1943 and served in Italy with the 91st Infantry Division. He was wounded October 1, 1944 and sent to Naples, Italy to recuperate and received a purple heart. He went to cook and baker school and stayed at the 52nd Station Hospital where he served as a cook sergeant until his discharge in February 6, 1946. After returning home he worked at Northwestern Cement Plant, he then went on to work at the U.S. Postal Service. He married Joy Anderson, August 2, 1947 at the English Lutheran Church in Manly, Iowa; to this union they had 3 daughters, and one son. LaVern later went into construction with his father and brothers building homes. In 1958 they moved to an acreage 5 miles east of Plymouth where they lived until 1973. During that time he farmed his forty acres and worked at the American Crystal Sugar Company as a beet end foreman. They moved back to Mason City where LaVern built some homes and worked at NIACC with his wife doing construction, painting and staining. In 1993 he retired due to health issues, but continued to enjoy his time at his home watching the deer and turkeys. He enjoyed the times he spent with his family, especially his grandchildren. He was a member of Disabled Veterans, V.F.W., and Trinity Lutheran Church. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him. He is survived by his wife, Joy Warner; children, Carol (Bob) Kennedy of Clear Lake, JoAnna (Kevin) Lien of Hanlontown, IA, Larry (Vicki) Warner of Mason City and Cathy (Paul) Burtness of Mason City; grandchildren, Cherie (Steve) Schemm, Jodie Kennedy, RaNae (Aaron) Anderson, April (Josh) Eggers, Krystal Lien, Angie (Ryan) OHara, Loni (Riley) Dirksen, Madison and Macey Burtness; great-grandchildren, Michael, David, Luke, Jacob Schemm, Brenna and Max Longman, Cameron and Christian Anderson, Emerick and Brinley Eggers, Logan and Peyton OHara; sisters-in-law, Helen Fisher, Velma (Don) Roberts, Arlene Martie, Norma Streich and Charlotte Cobeen brothers-in-law, Henry Rottinghaus and Millard (Cynthia) Anderson; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Howard Warner, Merlin E. Fisher, Donald Fisher, Bobby Warner, Dick Warner, and Leo Warner; sisters, Reva Delger, Norma Rottinghaus, Doris Borchard, Ruby Glidden, Gladys Janssen and Genevieve Mullen. The family would like to give a special thanks to everyone at Good Shepherd Health Center and Hospice of North Iowa for the excellent care, compassion and kindness shown to LaVern and his family.

Memorials:
Memorials may be directed to the LaVern A. Warner memorial fund in care of the family.

Cemetery:
Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery with Military Honors by the Mason City Veterans Memorial Association.

Visitation:
Visitation will be from 4:30 PM 7:00 PM, on Thursday (November 3, 2011) at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue.

Service:
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, November 4, 2011, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, with Pastor Dan Gerrietts officiating.