Vernon Himmelberg

Vernon A Himmelberg, 96, Lawrence, died Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at The Pines in Blue Hill. Rosary was at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15. Mass will be at 10:30 a.m., today (Thursday), both at St. Stephen Catholic Church, Lawrence, with Father Denton Morris officiating. Burial with military rites by Kent Kailey American Legion Post No. 45 and the Army National Guard Honor's Team will be in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Lawrence. Visitation was from 3 to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday at the Lawrence Visitation Chapel, Lawrence.

A memorial has been established to be designated at a later date.

Vernon was born on the family farm north of Lawrence on Feb. 11, 1928, to John P and Josephine J. (Kitten) Himmelberg. He initially attended grade school at the nearby country school until the family moved to a farm on the north edge of Lawrence, and he continued at Sacred Heart School. He attended Lawrence High School until his 16th birthday. He went into the army in November of 1954, doing his basic training in Texas. He was then stationed at Merced, California, until his discharge in November of 1956.

Vernon married LaVonne (Bonnie) Buescher on June 21, 1956. They were blessed with seven children; Larry, Linda, Lois, Donna, Diane, Duane and Gene. After his discharge, they lived in Hastings, where he worked for Hastings Grain Bin. In 1959, they moved to a farm northeast of Lawrence, where they lived for seven years before purchasing the family farm southwest of Deweese. They retired to Lawrence in 1992. Later in life, Vernon enjoyed making bluebird houses and maintaining numerous ones throughout the local countryside. He also enjoyed collecting miniature vintage John Deere farming equipment. Vernon was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus and Kent Kailey American Legion Post No. 45.

Vernon was preceded in death by Diane (daughter), Gene (son); parents, mother and father-in-law, George and Margaret Buescher; siblings and spouses, Coletta and Max Robinson, Doris and Don Rech, Don Himmelberg, Orville and Barbara Himmelberg, sister-in-law, Ellen Buescher and brother-in-law, Don Jurgensmeier.

Vernon is survived by his wife of 68 years, LaVonne (Bonnie); two sons and spouses, Larry (Marguerite) Himmelberg, Duane (Sherry) Himmelberg; three daughters and spouses, Linda (Wayne) Kohmetscher, Lois Kohmetscher, Donna (Joe) Svoboda; daughter-in-law, Linda Himmelberg; 17 grandchildren; sister-in-law, Bonnie Himmelberg; brothers and sisters and spouses, Rita (Ken) Brott, Bob (Betty) Himmelberg, Vivian (Darrel) Soucie, Howard (Glenda) Himmelberg, John (Donna) Himmelberg, Marie (Rich) Crucitt; and sisters-in-law, Charlyn Jurgensmeier and Colleen Buescher.