Lavonne M. Branch

LaVonne Mae Branch passed away suddenly on December 14, 2022. She had been recovering from pneumonia, living at the home of her son and daughter-in-law before her death. LaVonne was born April 28, 1942, at Camp Lee, Hopewell, Virginia, the eldest daughter of John Martin Jakubec and Eleanor Nellie "Dude" Schramm. She grew up in Perrysburg, graduating there in 1960. Soon after, she moved to California with her best friend Carolyn Cornelius where she first married and started her family. After a few years she became homesick and the family moved back to the Midwest, where she eventually settled once again in Perrysburg. After becoming an empty nester, she moved to Arizona to be near her youngest son John and his family. In 2013, LaVonne married Darrell Branch and they shared three and one-half wonderful years together before he passed in 2016. Widowed and missing her sisters and eldest son Joel and his family, LaVonne once again moved back to the Toledo area where she resided until her death.

LaVonne was always involved with her sons as they grew, volunteering at Vacation Bible School, being a Cub Scout den mother, and helped with Boy Scout family events and banquets. She was also one of the "Band Moms", volunteering with fund raisers and uniforms. LaVonne enjoyed making ceramics, taking art lessons and spending time in her garden. She even went back to school, taking some classes at Owens Tech, as it was known back then.

Over the years LaVonne worked in retail at Tiedke's in Toledo and Burcal's in California. She waitressed at the French Quarter Holiday Inn and the Wayward Inn, and was also a local Avon saleslady. In Arizona, LaVonne worked at Fort McDowell Casino, waitressing, running a change cart and running the gift shop until her retirement.

Preceding her in death were her parents and her husband Darrell. Left to cherish her memory are her sons, Joel (Melissa) Green and John (Amber) Green, sisters; Sharon Hill and Pamela Cook, eight grandchildren, six great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, cousins and her first husband Burt Green.

Services will be at noon on Wednesday, December 28th at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Maumee. There will be a celebration of life luncheon at the church following the service. The family suggests that any donations be made to St. Paul's Lutheran Church.