LaVon Knudsen Bedord
The independent spirit of long-time Missoula resident, LaVon Knudsen Bedord, released its grip on 90 years of living on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005.
The eldest of four children, she was the daughter of Martin and Gertrude Knudson. Her walk through life began on Jan. 24, 1915, in Badger, Minn., where her father worked as a telegrapher and later a depot agent for the Soo Line Railroad. In time, and after many moves, the family settled in Voltaire, N.D., where she graduated from high school in 1932.
A two-year stint at Minot State Teachers' College led to a short career as an elementary teacher in rural North Dakota. Wishing to further pursue her vocation as an educator, she moved to Missoula and attended the University of Montana. Soon after her arrival, she met and married Sverre Knudsen on Aug. 25, 1940. A Knudson married a Knudsen!
After Sverre's death in 1977, she sold the family home in Missoula and moved to their house on Flathead Lake. Several years later she met Albert Bedord, a retired farm implement dealer from Missoula.
Following their marriage in 1985, they spent summers at Flathead Lake and winters basking in the warmth of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Even after Albert's death in 1990, LaVon continued to divide her time between Flathead Lake and Lake Havasu, sharing her life with family and friends in both places.
In the face of a significant vision loss due to macular degeneration, she returned to Missoula, in 1998, as a full-time resident. During the past several years, she has been living at Grizzly Peak Retirement Residence.
LaVon wore many hats on her path through life. A devoted parent, she was always deeply interested and involved in the activities that go along with having four children. Her wide-ranging skills as a homemaker were evident in her talent to transform a pot roast into gourmet fare or a few yards of cloth into a beautiful prom dress. A dedicated gardener, her homes were always a welcoming sight with their beautiful flower garden arrays.
Since her early years in Missoula, she was engaged in many civic activities as president and lifetime member of the Missoula Women's Club. During the late 1950s, as part of her association with the Women's Club, she hosted a weekly television program focusing upon area human-interest stories. Her Scandinavian heritage led to even further civic involvement with a lifetime membership in the Sons of Norway where she served as local chapter president in the 1970s.
Even though failing eyesight made reading impossible, she found alternative ways to sustain her life-long quest for knowledge. LaVon loved stimulating conversation shared over strong coffee and freshly baked cookies. A Christian since birth, her faith-based life included a keen understanding of the Bible and its message. In the end, her life of meaning and substance will be in evidence for generations to come.
With the power of her ever-present love, she provided strength to her family, son, Gerhard Knudsen and wife, Gayle, of Missoula; daughter, Margit Hatcher and husband, Jim, of Helena; son, John Knudsen and wife, Lauren, of Missoula; daughter, Trudi Shjeflo and husband, Doug, of Kalispell; granddaughters, Olivia Shjeflo of Kalispell, and Elyse and Jocelynn Knudsen of Missoula; grandsons, Brad Dawkins of Great Falls, Erik Dawkins of Bozeman, and Leif Shjeflo of Wenatchee, Wash.; a sister, Marjorie Knosp, of Mill Creek, Wash.; a brother, Darrell Knudson, of Richardton, N.D., and, before his death, younger brother, Winslow Knudson.
Services celebrating the life of LaVon Knudsen Bedord will be 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 11, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Missoula with Pastor Chris Flohr officiating. Interment will be at the Missoula Cemetery following a reception at the Nordic Pines. Visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, and Friday, Feb. 11, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at Garden City Funeral Home.
Brad Dawkins, Erik Dawkins, Jim Hatcher, Elyse Knudsen, Doug Shjeflo, and Leif Shjeflo will be pallbearers.
Memorials may be given to the St. Paul Lutheran Church Organ Fund, the American Cancer Society, or the American Diabetes Association.