Lavonne Gearhart

Lavonne B. Gearhart, 80, of Janesville, Wisconsin, former resident of Lancaster, Ohio, passed away on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at her residence.
She was a retired accountant of thirty years and a member of the Sixth Avenue United Methodist Church, Blooming Petunia’s Quilt Club and United Methodist Women. During and at her husband’s pastorates, she was a choir director, organist, pianist, Sunday School teacher and mission projects. At the District and Conference level, she was a past President of a United Methodist Women, District and Conference Secretary of Global Ministries, and Registrar for the West Ohio United Methodist Conference school of Christian Mission. Lavonne was a certified Mission Interpreter for the West Ohio United Methodist Church Conference and the Red Bird Missionary United Methodist Church Conference. She did volunteer mission trips to Mexico, Lithuania, and various Outreach Ministries in the United States. In 1999, she received the Bishop’s Mission Award.
She was a Hospice volunteer for the Pickering House in Lancaster, Ohio. She then moved to Cedar Crest, Inc. in Janesville, Wisconsin, where she was the assistant organist playing for various services, volunteer secretary to the Chaplain’s Office and volunteered at the Old Country Store at Cedar Crest. In 2012, she received “The President’s Volunteer Service Award”.
Lavonne is survived by her son, Rahn Gearhart, Wisconsin, daughter, Naomi (Gary) MacDonald of Whitewater, Wisconsin; husband, Charles Cook; four grandchildren, Jesse (Pam) MacDonald of Appleton, Wisconsin, Holly Brown of Whitewater, Wisconsin, Wesley MacDonald of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Roxanne (Benjamin) Frechette of Watertown, WI; three great-grandchildren, Aliyah, Adalee and Lofton MacDonald; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Everett and Gladys Gearhart of Chillicothe, Ohio; several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Rev. Roy W. Gearhart, parents, Virgil and Malissa Bowlby, sisters, Naomi Ruth Bowlby and Miriam Annabelle Kurtz, brothers, Ronald Wayne Bowlby and Roland Wesley Bowlby.
Funeral service will be held Monday, September 14, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. in the FRANK E. SMITH FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL, 405 N. COLUMBUS ST., LANCASTER, OHIO 43130 with Rev. Rick Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Union Evangelical Cemetery, Baltimore, Ohio. Friends may visit Sunday from 1-4 p.m. at the funeral home.
A memorial service will be held in the chapel at Cedar Crest, Janesville, Wisconsin, at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2015.
Memorial gifts may be given to the Sixth Avenue United Methodist Church, 1004 W. Sixth Ave., Lancaster, Ohio 43130.
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