Grantham, Lavanda H.

Lavanda H. Grantham, 97, of Belle Plaine, died Thursday, March 4, 2010, at the Belle Plaine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 8, at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Belle Plaine with the Rev. Brian “Pete” Hagglund officiating. Interment will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, Belle Plaine. Visitation will from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the church, where the family will receive friends. 

A memorial fund has been established. 

Lavanda H. Wiese was born July 30, 1912, to Louis and Anna (Mussman) Wiese, at Keystone. She graduated from school in Keystone and attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls. Lavanda taught country school in the Keystone area for nine years. Later she worked as a bookkeeper for Burrows Publishing Co. and Graham Services, retiring in 2002. Lavanda was united in marriage to Fred L.S. Grantham on May 21, 1939, at the Congregational Church parsonage in Belle Plaine. He preceded her in death on Feb. 24, 1995. 

 Lavanda was a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ, OES and American Legion Auxiliary in Belle Plaine. In her leisure she enjoyed playing cards, especially bridge.

 Lavanda is survived by her son, John (Fran) Grantham of Siren, Wis.; her daughter-in-law, Marva Grantham of Marion; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one stepgrandchild; five stepgreat-grandchildren; and her sister, Audrey Olson of Vinton.

 In addition to her parents and husband, Lavanda was preceded in death by her son, Fred; her two brothers, Clarence and Harold Wiese; and five sisters, Mabel Roth, Frances Burfield, Norma Wilde, Lois Sherwood and Ruby Engelking.

Phillips Funeral Home in Vinton is in charge of arrangements.