LaVonne Marie Webb

LaVonne Marie Webb was born on October 18, 1935 in Canby, Minnesota to Sever Engen and Anna (Watne) Engen. She passed away peacefully on January 3rd, 2024 at Summerlin Memorial Hospital after a very sudden decline to her health. She was 88 years old.

LaVonne is survived by her older brother, Ed Engen. She was predeceased by siblings Lloyd Engen, Norma Engen (Hofer), Glenn Engen, Clifford Engen, and Kenneth Engen.

LaVonne was married on September 1st, 1956 to Kenneth Lee Webb in Watertown, South Dakota. The ceremony was held in their pastor’s home, witnessed by her brother Kenny Engen and his wife, Kay. LaVonne, or ‘Ma’ as she was known to those who loved her most, supported her family of five children and was a dedicated homemaker and loving wife to her husband, Kenneth ‘Pa’ Webb. Following Ken’s retirement in 1994, their mutual love of the dry desert air and cacti brought them out to Golden Valley, Arizona, where they spent nearly 22 years with grandchildren running in and out and carving landscapes and water features in their desert land. ‘Ma’ enjoyed sneaking out to the little house on Papago before the break of dawn to listen to her music while cross-stitching by the woodstove. Towards the latter part of their years in the desert, they moved to a smaller piece of land, closer to Kingman, AZ. In March 2016, following the death of her beloved husband, she left their Golden Valley home on Agua Fria for the last time to move in with her youngest son Dave, his wife Tanya, and youngest granddaughter Brooke, in Summerlin, Nevada, where she lived in good health for the past eight years.

LaVonne’s quirky nicknames, warm hugs, and unvarnished conversation were a trademark to the Webb household as much as a cat curled on a lap or laughing at animal antics. Good eating and warm humor made it easy to stay a little longer. LaVonne loved being around people and always had a house open for any person, with the promise of a hot cup of coffee and a good talk. She held a special affection for her family and would cry happily any time a member came home, unannounced or otherwise.

She enjoyed cross-stitching at her desk, especially in the early mornings while she sipped her first cup of coffee. Throughout the day, she loved being around her family and would routinely check her thermostat--against the house’s-- to assess if it would warm up enough to be outside, barefoot and content. A voracious reader, she enjoyed reading across many genres and could finish a novel in record time while tucked in the shade. Lavonne also enjoyed a wide-range of music and gardening in her pots and has always enjoyed a collection of potted cacti. Her lemon tree that she started from a seed stands today. Even at the end, she found a way to smile and laugh in between doctor check-ins and procedures.

She is survived by 5 children: Kathryn (Webb) Tierney and Logan, Steven Webb and Peggy (Ong), Douglas Webb and Pamela (Shinault) Webb, David Webb and Tanya (Stoeckel) Webb, Ann (Webb) Kirkland and Gene Kirkland, 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be held on January 20th at 2 pm at Palm Cheyenne Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada. In lieu of flowers, LaVonne’s wish was to offer all donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

A memorial service for LaVonne will be held Saturday, January 20, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Palm Cheyenne Mortuary, 7400 West Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89129.