Lavohn C. Sieh

Mass of Christian burial for Lavohn C. Sieh, 95, of Aberdeen, will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, December 11, 2015, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 409 3rd Avenue SE, Aberdeen, with Father Mark Lichter as celebrant.

Burial will take place at Groton Union Cemetery in Groton, SD.

Schriver's Memorial Mortuary & Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Thursday, at the mortuary, with a liturgical wake service being held at 7:00 p.m. Visitation continues one hour prior to Mass at the church on Friday.

Lavohn passed away peacefully on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 at Avera Mother Joseph Manor in Aberdeen.

Known for her strong personality, Lavohn (Herron) Sieh was born June 3, 1920 at Groton, S.D. to Guy and Emma (Kalbus) Herron. Lavohn grew up in Groton where her dad owned a Case Farm Implement dealership. She often helped out by working. She was a waitress at local cafes and worked for the city for $1 a day while in high school. She did housework and fixed hair for 10 cents a head. She attended Groton schools and graduated from South Dakota State at Brookings with a degree in home economics in 1942. Tuition at the time was $66 a year.

In 1943, Lavohn traveled by train to Catalina Island, Calif. On Feb. 15, she married her high school sweetheart, Roland "Bill" Sieh. They lived in Catalina through the end of WW II and after his discharge from the Navy, moved to Austin, Minn., then Hutchinson, Minn. In 1952, they moved to the Bath area to be close to family. They farmed for nearly 50 years. In 2000, they left the farm and moved to an apartment in Aberdeen. Bill passed away May 7, 2009. In April of this year, Lavohn moved to Nano Nagle Village in Aberdeen and then to Mother Joseph Manor where she lived at the time of her death.

Lavohn taught school and also worked with the South Dakota Extension Service. She was well known for her work with women in Extension Clubs and 4-Hers. She taught classes in nutrition, sewing and home arts to many individuals. Her skills in teaching enhanced her work with young people in Brown County's 4-H programs.

In addition to traveling to 49 states, she and her husband enjoyed extending their home to a lake cottage at Lake Sallie in Minnesota and to Port Aransas, Texas where they spent many winter months. Family often visited them at these locations. She loved family gatherings and hosted many dinners on the farm.

She and Bill raised five children. They enjoyed their extended family with trips to visit their kids, grandkids and great grandkids. Bird watching was a favorite past time. Lavohn always had a special fondness for cats. Playing bridge was a special treat for her and served to keep her mind active. When young, she read for pleasure. Books were her constant companions up to her last days.

Lavohn was reserved but outgoing in starting conversations and learning about people's background. Many times she found a link to people who started out as strangers. A group of ladies began meeting in the Bath area in the 1960s for coffee. The group continues even today though most members now live in Aberdeen. Life-long friendships were forged and Lavohn was a regular member of that coffee group and continued to be a part of it this year.

She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aberdeen. She was a member of Band 711 and a member of Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

Surviving Lavohn are her children Tom (Nancy) Sieh of Katy, Texas; Patrick Sieh of Groton, S.D.; Connie (Dale) Groop of Frederick and Julie Sieh and her husband Brent Blumenthal of Belton, Texas and son-in-law, John Dokken of Sartell, Minn. 12 grandchildren: John Dokken, Susan Altenburg, William Sieh, Melissa Sieh, Amanda Strickland, Robert Sieh, Angela Sieh, Ellen Arens, Alisha Amar, Katy Groop, Ben Blumenthal and Sam Blumenthal; and 16 great-grandchildren: Danielle and Deanna Dokken; Sophie and John Robert Altenburg; Garrett and Kyle Fitzgerald and Hunter Reed; William and Joseph Strickland; William and Christopher Sieh; Madelyn and Brandon Sieh; Donald and Nathan Arens; and Avishai Amar.

Preceding her in death were her husband in 2009, and her daughter Charlotte (Sieh) Dokken in 2014, her parents and her three sisters, Darlene Crawford, Dorothy Schulz and Betty Purcell.