LaVonne Samelson, age 82, of De Smet, SD, and formerly of Iroquois, died Thursday, January 18, 2018, at Good Samaritan Society De Smet. Her funeral service will be 10:30 A.M. Tuesday, January 23, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Iroquois with burial at Maplewood Cemetery in Iroquois. Visitation will be Monday from 5-7 p.m. at Welter Funeral Home with family present; or Tuesday morning one hour prior to the service at the church.

(Donna) LaVonne Geiman, daughter of Christian and Leona (Maxey) Geiman was born on February 2, 1935, in rural Iroquois, the 3rd oldest of nine children. She had 5 sisters and 3 brothers. She attended high school in Bancroft.

On February 4, 1952, LaVonne married Holly Samelson in Minnesota. LaVonne and Holly were blessed with a daughter, Lana, in 1973. She was a special joy to them. They lived on a farm near Iroquois where they did custom farming and custom combining. During the winter months they drove truck delivering cattle to various locations. Working on the farm was not only LaVonne's occupation but her pride and joy, working the land and the livestock alongside her husband. LaVonne took pride in her role as farmwife and as a Mom.

She was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Conference. Her interests, besides focusing on the farm and family, were sewing, crocheting, and gardening, and the family's annual vacation trip to the Clay County Fair in Spencer, IA.

She is survived by daughter, Lana (Todd) Bornitz of Sioux Falls; and granddaughter, Kiersten (Taylor) Johnson of Sioux Falls. Brothers; Dean (June) Geiman, Deadwood, SD and Delbert Geiman of De Smet, SD. Sisters; Shirley Weeks of Fargo, ND, Eunice Currier of Monroe, IA, and Sandra (Chilo) Pina of Huron, SD.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Holly, in December 2009; her parents; 1 brother; Donnie Geiman, 2 sisters; Mildred Ulsh and Carol Miller.