Lavona B. Moore 1929-2022 ….

Lavona B. Moore 1929-2022

Lavona B. Moore was born on March 28, 1929, in Concordia, Missouri, to Alvin and Nora (Wehmeier) Bokelman. She died on March 15, while a patient in Memory Care Gardens of Rountree Gardens in Stanton, California. She was a Leisure World resident of Mutual 9 for 34 years.

She was the oldest of five children. Her early years were on a farm in a rural community near Alma, Missouri, where she attended a one-room elementary school and was taught by her grandfather, who was also the pastor of the neighboring Lutheran Church.

When she was high school aged, the family moved into their own home in Concordia. She worked as a waitress while in high school, and after graduation, she was employed by the community bank. At the age of 21, she moved to St. Louis and continued working in a bank. While attending church functions, she met Gilbert Moore, a student at the local Lutheran seminary who was assisting at the church. They were married on June 8, 1952.

In addition to living in Missouri, Lavona lived with her family in Idaho, Washington, Hawaii and California; traveled to all 50 states.

When all her children were in school, she was employed by numerous jobs including bank accountant and office manager, and in her later years, she managed the offices for Solheim Lutheran Home in Eagle Rock and Southland Lutheran Home in Norwalk. She was very active in volunteer services, and in addition to being the pastor’s wife, her most prominent role was her years of service for the hospitality center at Lutheran conventions.

She is survived by her husband, Gilbert; children Mahlon, Dorothy and Lisa (Delbert Nunley); grandsons Aaron, Peter (Ashley) and Geoffrey; and her siblings, Melba, Alice and Norma; plus numerous relatives.

She is preceded in death by her daughter, Christine, and brother Raymond.

Lavona often quoted her confirmation verse: “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 KJV).

A graveside burial attended by the family will be held on Saturday, April 30, at Forest Lawn, Cypress; at her request, a memorial moment for everyone will be held on Sunday, May 1, 10:30 a.m. during the regular worship service of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Leisure World.

The family requests no flowers, but you may donate to a charity of your choice, the Alzheimer’s Association or Redeemer Lutheran Church in Leisure World.