LaVonne "Bonnie" Eunice Rhoda

LaVonne “Bonnie” Eunice Rhoda, 85, of Willmar, MN, formerly of Raymond, passed away peacefully at her home on January 6th after a year long battle with esophageal cancer.  Her service will be at 10:30 am, Tuesday, January 11th at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Willmar. Visitation will be from 4-7:00 pm, Monday at Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar and continue one hour prior to her service at the church. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Willmar. Memorials are preferred to Carris Health Hospice or Redeemer LWML. A recording of the funeral service can be viewed below. 

LaVonne was born June 11, 1936, in Bird Island, MN.  She was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Church and in 1958 was confirmed in adult confirmation and joined Trinity Lutheran Church in Raymond.  When the church closed in 1990 she became a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Willmar.

She graduated from Litchfield High School in 1953 and married Lloyd Rhoda at the Cosmos Methodist Church in Cosmos on June 23, 1957.  They lived on the family farm north of Raymond where she was a farmer’s wife, helping Lloyd with the chores and field work.  After Lloyd passed away she continued to live on the farm until 2013 and then moved to Willmar.

LaVonne worked at the Raymond News for three years and at the Kandiyohi County Farm Service Agency for over 20 years. She was active in various church and community activities such as LWML, Sunday School teacher, Redeemer Quilters, Raymond Daffodil Days Coordinator, Kandiyohi County Fair Horticulture Building Superintendent, 4-H Leader and other activities.

She is survived by four daughters: Debra Bremseth of Willmar, Karen (Wes) Anderson of Appleton, Janet (Eugene) Marshall of Luverne, and Sarah (Ryan) Fosso of Raymond; nine grandchildren: Daniel (Callie) Bremseth, Jordan Bremseth (fiancé Allie Scofield and Jeffrey and Elena), Nichole (Gary) Markworth, Nathan (Beth) Anderson, Erica Marshall, Ethan Marshall (fiancé Hanna Osland), Emma, Elsa and Harris Fosso; three great grandchildren: Willow Bremseth, McKenna and Easton Markworth.  She is also survived by her brother, Lawrence (Linda) Bishop of Chicago, IL and sister, Gloria Gail Haley of Hutchinson; sister-in-law, Joann Rhoda of Maplewood and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband Lloyd in 1990, her parents, Lowell and Opal Bishop, her stepfather, Joseph Anderson, and brothers-in-law: Francis Haley, Herbert Rhoda and John Rhoda and sister-in-law, Deanna Rhoda.

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