A beautiful loving lady left our arms today to be in Gods care. We will all miss her smile and wave as she greeted each person who crossed her path. LaVerne E. Wagers age 95 was born in Nebraska to Lillian and John Dudgeon on April 13, 1915 in Carleton, Nebraska. She lived there until she was three and at that time the family moved to Odell Nebraska, where she finished high school as Valedictorian of her class. She later attended Normal school where she received her teaching certificate at which time she obtained a job teaching school in a one room school house where she taught eight grades and had 26 children in school and was also the janitor which built a fire every day and got a pail of water for drinking.

In 1934 she met Leonard Wagers and on April 15 1935 in Concordia, Kansas they eloped and were married. At that time school teachers could not be married and teach school so it had to be a secret for a few months until school was out. While returning home from the big day they got into a terrible dust storm that was so bad they could only see the hood ornament on the car,

Leonard was farming and that year was very bad for everyone as the dust bowl days had begun. There was no rain and the crop that they did have was eaten by grasshoppers. On Oct.10, 1936 they made a new start and moved to Nampa Idaho, starting a new lifetime of farming. Even the first years were much better to them than they had been in Nebraska.

On June 17 1937 they became parents of a baby boy which they named Robert Earl. In Sept. they purchased the first 10 acres of their farm and 9 cows and started to really build a new life for themselves.

LaVerne was always able to fit lots of social life in with all her chores of raising a big garden, helping with the animals, canning, cooking for threshing crews and the many things that all farm women do. Family dinners were important to her and it would never do that anyone except her could have the Christmas dinner. Then we would play games after dinner and everyone would have a good time.

They were members of the Presbyterian Church in Nampa. Mom always liked a good party and they had many Sunday school parties at the farm. She belonged to the Midway Social Club and the Midway homemaker Club which met every month and she enjoyed keeping up with what everyone in the community was doing. She was voter registrar for the Midway community for many years and also worked on the election board. She was a past member of the Rebeccas Lodge and Womens Century Club. She was treasurer of the rural fire dept. Mom and Dad belonged to the Good Sams Club and the Henry Ford Dance Club which kept them busy. They had many good friends that they played cards with every week and some twice a week.

LaVerne was preceded in death by her husband Leonard who she had shared 74 years of marriage with; Sister Donna Parkinson; brothers John and Raymond Dudgeon; grandson Tom Wheeler; and her parents.

She is survived by her son Robert and daughter-in-law Theresa Wagers, Nampa, granddaughter Charlotte (Don) Garrison, Wappingers Falls, N. Y. and a grandson Larry (Leigh) Wagers, Nampa, Great Grandsons Tyler and Patrick Garrison N.Y., Robert Unman, Spokane, WA, and a great-great grandson Devin Inman; Sister-In Laws Mary Wagers, Boise and Hazel Dudgeon, Boise.

A celebration of Lavernes life will be held at 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen Chapel 415 12th Avenue S. Nampa, Idaho.

LaVerne moved to Clearwater Assisted Living in the fall of 2009 where she has been taken care of with love by so many of her caregivers. We want to thank each and every one of them and also Journeys Hospice which took such good care of her in these last days. A celebration of life will follow the services at Clearwater house at 715 W. Comstock, Nampa.

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