Esther and Laurence Havekost were married at Lebanon Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on April 11, 1937. Esther was employed at Honeywell and Laurence was a carpenter. In the fall of 1941, they moved with their baby, LaVonne, to rural Bloomfield, NE, to farm with Esther's family. They renovated a very run-down farm place, planted orchards, flowers and, along with field work, raised most every type of farm animal! In 1943, daughter Laurene joined them to make the family complete!

The family joined St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Laurence was on the church council, church building committee, Bloomfield school board and both were Knox County 4-H leaders. After Laurene joined LaVonne at Midland Lutheran College in 1962, Laurence and Esther made major career changes. They sold the farm, moving first to Fremont,NE, for a year; then to Mesa, AZ, where they were assistant managers of Holiday Mobile Home Resort. Esther also fulfilled her dream of working in a school by becoming the managing monitor for a Mesa elementary school lunch program. Their time with us was too brief, however. At the age of 59, Esther passed away in April, 1970, of a sudden brain aneurysm and later in September, 1970, Laurence, having emphysema, passed away at age 60 while living with their daughter, LaVonne and family in Sioux Falls, SD.

LaVonne and Laurene Havekost were red headed, blue-eyed daughters of Laurence and Esther. The sisters were great "pals" and were privileged to grow up on a "lively and creative" farm place 13 miles west of Bloomfield, NE. The farm pasture had a meandering, wooded creek--which was a favorite meeting place for many of the Greenwall (Wausa) cousins on Sunday afternoons. Wading, tubing, fishing, roasting hot-dogs, laughing and having the traditional "lunch" of cold cuts, herring, pickles, pie and most everything from the garden, often was the agenda!

The girls attended a country school, grades K-8, about two and a half miles from their home. In High school, they enjoyed music by playing in band and singing in the chorus. Both attended Midland Lutheran College where they were members of the College Touring Choir.

LaVonne met her husband, Larry L. Monson, in the Midland Choir. She is an elementary teacher in Lincoln, NE and Larry is professor of choral music at Doane College, Crete, NE. They have 3 children, graduates of Luther College, Decorah, IA. Martin, of Minneapolis, is married to Amy Adent Monson. They have one daughter, Stefany, 3. Marty is a video conference manager with Wire One, and sings in a male quartet. Ann Elise Monson married Patrick Schoenecker and is a singer and teacher in Minneapolis. Eric is a singer/performer with Celebrity Cruise Lines and is engaged to Stephanie Privratsky.

Laurene met her husband Richard Bean at Midland College. Laurene's professional attainment was to serve as executive treasurer of U.S. Granules Corporation, Plymouth, IN. Her husband is an accountant. They had two children, both graduates of Purdue University. Michelle married Charles Sellers and is an accounting specialist in her father's office. Michelle and Chuck have three children: Derek, Chad and Krystal. Robert (Bob) married Sharon Kasson and is Marketing Coordinator, Land O'Lakes Farmland Feed, Kansas City, MO. Laurene passed away in the spring of 2000 at the age of 56 after a courageous battle with complications of emphysema. Her courage, love and persistent humor will be with us always.