Lavonne Lou Wittstruck Obituary (1927 - 2015)

Lavonne Lou Wittstruck, 88, of Lincoln, passed away Thursday, July 29, 2015. She was born to Walter and Emma (Tangeman) Reckling on January 17, 1927 in Roca, NE. Lavonne was the oldest child of six in that family. She was 18 months older than her sister Loma Jean and her first words were calling her baby sister Lobo Juno. They were poor but everyone was poor in those days. Each year the children would get new shoes at the beginning of the school year. On nice days they would carry their shoes home so they would not wear them out. By the end of the school year they would have outgrown their shoes and would cut the toes out so their shoes would fit. Lavonne graduated from Cortland High School in 1945. After High School she worked for the Lincoln Telephone Company as an operator until she married Samuel Wittstruck on July 10, 1948. Samuel's military career took them around the country to homes in California, Illinois and Texas before returning to Nebraska. Lavonne was a dedicated wife and mother of three. She volunteered in her children's school and went on many field trips with her children's classes. She was a cub scout leader and a good neighbor. She became a widow at age 47 and never remarried. She always said that "one good man lasts a lifetime." She enjoyed her friends at the Senior Citizen's Center and was a whiz at cards and crossword puzzles. She would have made a formidable contestant on Wheel of Fortune. Lavonne was not a complainer she was a survivor. She endured very painful joints and survived a bout with breast cancer all while maintaining a very positive outlook on life. She is survived by her children; Linda (Jimmy) Hough of Aurora, Lee Ann Wittstruck of Lincoln, Samuel F. Wittstruck, Jr. of Lincoln, 3 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren.