Lester Laverman

Lester Laverman was born April 5, 1934, near Sully. He always joked that it was a dry year and he wasn’t very big.  His parents, Katie (Fopma)) and John Laverman, had three other children: Betty (Nikkel), Wilford Laverman, and Charlene (Vander Hart). They lived in the vicinity of Sully, Iowa.

As a boy, Lester loved sneaking off with his mom to go fishing. One of his favorite memories was when his parents went to town and came home with a brand-new Gibson Guitar. He used that guitar a lot and brought a lot of joy to a lot of people.

Lester met Marcella Nikkel when they were both in grade school and knew she was the one. They got married on April 9, 1953. Dad would tell anyone who was around what a wonderful wife he had. They started out on the farm, then had a restaurant for a period of time, often gathering with a group of friends to play guitar and sing after closing. Music was always part of their lives.

After the birth of Leland, the oldest, and Marlon, dad began to work in construction. Then shortly after Alicia was born, they decided to build a home just outside of Sully. One vivid story Lester would share about that was three-year-old Alicia climbing the ladder and getting on the roof to see what her daddy was doing.

After settling in their home, Lester and Marcella welcomed their fourth and final child Melissa. After many doctor visits they learned that she was handicapped. Missy became a sweet blessing to the family, fiercely loved and protected. Lester had now moved on to working in building sales with Schmidt Lumber in Sully. He enjoyed finding new places to go camping when he was on the road. After several years, he decided to go into partnership with Kevin Roozeboom, his son-in-law and Kevin Laverman, his nephew. They built many houses together and enjoyed working together. Finally, the time came when Lester wanted to slow down and retire. He still enjoyed quite a few years of woodworking and smaller projects for people. He was also always glad to drive Marcella to Des Moines to deliver quilts from the church and have lunch with Marlon.

Lester and Marcella moved to Vriendschap Village in Pella, a few years ago, and recently moved to Crystal Heights Care Center in Oskaloosa.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Marcella of 66 years and their family:

Lee and Ruth Laverman, Lynnville

            Joshua Laverman

            Luke and Rachel Laverman

                        Liam, Georgia, Elias

Marlon Laverman, Des Moines

Alicia and Kevin Roozeboom, Pella

            Joshua and Leah Roozeboom

                        Abigail, Ashton, Cadence, Caleb

            Joe and Susan Roozeboom

                        Coleman, Sadie, Violet

            Cody and Sarah Roozeboom

                        Adelaide, Emmalyn

Melissa Laverman, Oskaloosa

Lester is also survived his sister-in-law Henrietta Laverman.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters and their husbands, Betty and Bernie Nikkel and Charlene and Marion Vander Hart, and his brother Wilford Laverman.       

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