Lavona 'Sandy' Colton

LAVONA "SANDY" COLTON

Hiawatha

Lavona "Sandy" Colton, 87, of Hiawatha, died Monday, June 27, 2016, at Cottage Grove Place. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 9, at Shueyville United Methodist Church, officiated by the Rev. Craig Peters. Visitation will be held from 5 until 7 p.m. Friday at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Private family inurnment will be held at a later date.

Sandy was born May 4, 1929, at home in Bertram Township, Iowa, to William and Adeline (Petrak) Dvorak. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1946. She went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1952. Sandy was united in marriage to Eldon "Ed" Colton on Sept. 9, 1951, in Cedar Rapids. They had three sons.

Sandy worked as a financial aid specialist at Kirkwood Community College from 1978 until her retirement in 1996. She worked at Bowman Woods Elementary School as an aide for many years. Sandy was a member of the Shueyville United Methodist Church, where she was active with the United Methodist Women and later with All Church Singles. She was also involved with Kiwanis Ladies, Harmony Hawk Honeys, Friendship Force and the local PTA while her children were in school.

Sandy and her husband, Ed, were passionate about volunteer work. She gave her time to the League of Women Voters, St. Luke's Hospital, the Iowa Trails Council and the Linn County Trails Association. In 1992, she and Ed were honored with the Governor's Volunteer Award for their support and sponsorship of a unit at the HACAP Inn Circle facility.

Sandy enjoyed bicycling with her husband and their family. Together they biked tandem on trails all over the Midwest and in Colorado and Texas. Sandy enjoyed the outdoors, playing cards and traveling. She had visited all of the United States, except for Alaska, as well as Europe, Russia and Japan. She was a longtime cancer survivor, having battled the disease in the late 1960s. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her legacy of love will be treasured always.

Sandy is survived by her sons, Brad (Kathy) of Cedar Rapids, Glen (Trudy) of Fort Collins, Colo., and Keith (Norma) of Cedar Rapids; six grandchildren, Tim (Kirsten), Hannah, Paige, Kim, Jeff (Rosina) and Ben (Paulina); as well as two sisters, Bernice Dvorak of Cedar Rapids and Martha Zach of Swisher.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Ed, in 2006.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Sandy's name may be made to the Shueyville United Methodist Church, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library or a food bank of the donor's choice. Online condolences may be conveyed at www.cedarmemorial.com.