LaVonne Idella Gutches

LaVonne Idella Ingraham Gutches, 96, was born on a farm near Alexander, Iowa on September 2, 1912, the only child of Joseph G. and Jennie Starr Ingraham. She graduated from Dows High School in 1930 and was working in Dows when she met William F. Gutches, the new High School Teacher and Coach. They were married January 9, 1932 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. They lived and worked in Iowa until 1942 before settling in the Chicago area. LaVonne commuted by train to the Chicago loop for more than 26 years, working at Northern Trust Bank. She retired from the auditing department in 1969.
When Bill retired in 1970 they began wintering in Mesa, AZ. Enjoying the mild weather and year-round golfing, they purchased a home in Sunland Village in 1977. LaVonne continued living in their home after Bill’s death in 1980. She enjoyed the Sunland Village Clubs and was a member of the East Mesa Christian Church. She also corresponded regularly with relatives and the friends they had made in the towns where they had lived. LaVonne died April 30, 2009. She is survived by nieces Suzanne Pacolt and Diane Weiser and her cousins Steve Penfield and Joyce Hambleton. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Bill.