Obituary of Beverly Lavonne Vance

Beverly Lavonne Vance

July 20, 1931 – Oct 27, 2021

Beverly L. Vance, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great granny died peacefully at home with family around her.

Bev was born to Ora Frank and Mary Elizabeth Lanam, in Mitchell, SD on 20 July 1931. Her dad was a carpenter, and her mother a homemaker, and they worked hard to raise a family of six during the Great Depression. Bev worked from a young age doing yard work and housework for people in the neighborhood. She worked at a beauty salon as a teenager, and also helped at home a great deal helping with her two younger siblings - one with special needs. Her two oldest brothers served in the military in WWII. When her next oldest brother went to the Black Hills to work at the Homestake Gold Mine,  she was ready for her next adventure at age 18 and followed him to work at the Ben Franklin store in Deadwood, SD.

Bev met her husband of 70 years, Jim, on a blind date set up by her roommate. They married three months later in Dec of 1950 in Deadwood. They lived very humbly as Jim finished his college degree and worked several jobs. They started their family of eight children right away, and Bev worked very hard as a homemaker and mother. They lived in South Dakota, Washington DC, and North Carolina before settling back in South Dakota in 1964. Jim worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and they lived on campus at an Indian Boarding School. This was a challenging time, as this was an out of the ordinary place to raise a family. She was often overwhelmed, and struggled with the demands of raising 8 children. Despite her struggles Beverly emerged as a good friend to her adult children and a fun loving grandmother.

In 1976, Bev and Jim moved to Boise, ID where they lived until July 2020. After Jim passed, Bev moved in with her daughter in Middleton, ID until her passing.

Bev worked hard gardening, canning, sewing, homemaking, and caring for her children. Bev loved her yard and garden and spent many hours caring for and enjoying this hobby. She was an excellent cook, and serving food to people was one of her love languages. She worked hard to always make holidays and birthdays very special. Bev loved to sew and used this talent to clothe her young, humble family and make gifts for children and grandchildren. Bev also loved to camp and fish. She and Jim traveled in their fifth wheel for twenty years after retirement and she was always looking for that lucky fishing spot! She loved watching football (Go KC Chiefs!) and golf, and did so until she passed. She was a wonderful, loving Grandmother who sacrificed much of her own interests to care for and play with her many grandchildren. She will always be remembered for playing a mean game of Gin Rummy with anyone she could! Beverly was always tough and she struggled in her later years with many health issues but even in pain and disease, she saw humor in everything and could always laugh at herself.  She was loved much and will be missed greatly.

 Bev was preceded in death by her husband Jim, her parents, 3 brothers and 1 sister. She is survived by 1 brother, 3 sons, 5 daughters, 25 grandkids, and 20 great grandkids.