Anita Lucille (Johnson) Laveroni

Anita Lucille Johnson Laveroni, 76, of Belgrade, MT passed away on March 12, 2017. 

She was born on September 14, 1940 in Moscow, Idaho, the oldest child of Wayne D. Johnson and Lela Maxine Seeger.  In 1944, the family relocated to Nampa, Idaho, after her father was drafted, but spent a short time in Chicago while her dad attended training. Back in Nampa, Anita showed her artistic talent at a young age designing and constructing her own paper doll clothes.  As she got older, she became an avid reader of mysteries and later a writer of her own short, mystery stories. From the age of 14 she earned money working in the fields to pay for college.   

After graduation from high school, she studied art at the University of Idaho, which was a memorable time for her.  During high school she met David H. Napper and they married on August 31, 1959.  After David’s graduation from college, they relocated to Compton, CA where their daughter, Sabrina was born.  In 1963, they returned to Idaho to make their home in Idaho Falls.

Anita continued to pursue her passion for art with her little studio in the basement painting primarily landscapes in oil, but she also dabbled in ink drawings.  She always had her sketchpad with her on camping trips recreating the images around her. She was an incredible seamstress sewing many of her own clothes as well as prom dresses for her daughter. During the early years in Idaho Falls, her love of children became her occupation when she opened up a daycare and volunteered to lead a Girl Scout troop.  To earn extra money, she sold Tupperware and Avon in the neighborhood.  Anita never learned to drive until she was in her thirties and relied on the cab drivers who knew her by name.   In 1973, she learned to drive and turned her sewing expertise into a job as an assistant manager of a fabric store.  The following year she married Laurence “Larry” Laveroni and moved with her daughter to Trident, a small town in Montana.  In 1987, Larry and Anita purchased a home in Belgrade, MT and combined their artistic talents to sell paintings and birdhouses at craft fairs in the area. In the last few years, she always had a big smile for everyone who visited her. She was a gentle soul always putting the needs of others before herself.

 She is survived by her daughter, Sabrina; stepchildren, Dennis, Lynn, and Keith; brother Alan(Sharon) Johnson; and many grandchildren and great-children.  Anita was preceded in death by her husband, Larry; parents, Wayne and Lela; and sister, Kay Cox.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Open Arms Elder Care for their kind and gentle care over the last few years. 

A graveside service will be held on Monday, March 20, 2017, at 10:00 am at Canyon Hill Cemetery, 2024 N. Illinois Avenue, Caldwell, Idaho.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen Chapel where an online guest book is available at www.nampafuneralhome.com

 Service Information