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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of LaVerle Kelley. LaVerle Shirley Lorenz was born in Pipestone Minnesota June 4, 1935, to Raymond Lorenz and Louella (Toughes) Lorenz. She passed away peacefully April 30, 2025, surrounded by family.

LaVerle spent her childhood doing the things she loved most – ice skating, swimming and chasing after her sister, Carmen. She graduated from Abbott Northwestern Nursing School, earning her RN degree. Full of adventure, she hitchhiked to Denver with Nancy (Collins) James, where they learned of nursing positions with housing in Eads.

Her first night in Eads, she met the love of her life, Earl W. Kelley, Jr. (Junior) and knew immediately that he was the man she would marry. When someone would ask how to pronounce LaVerle she would respond “Love Earl.”

Junior and LaVerle were married May 10, 1957 in Lamar. Their first years were filled with travel across the US with Junior’s work with the Coast and Geodetic Survey. During those years, they welcomed three daughters, Linnae, Raeann, and Christie. Once Linnae was ready to start school, they decided to settle down in Eads, eventually buying the ranch west of Eads. They soon welcomed three sons, Mark, Devin, and Paul; completing the family.

In 1979 at the age of 44, Junior was struck with cancer and died within the year. At age 44, LaVerle was left with three girls in college, and three boys ages 14 to 6, and had just lost her last remaining parent, as her mother passed just the month before Junior. LaVerle, orphaned, widowed, and a single parent, had to learn the ranching business in a hurry.

LaVerle leaves a footprint in Kiowa County that is a challenge to fill. She worked as school nurse, as well as county health nurse. LaVerle was instrumental in getting the Health Fair started, seeing that our rural community needed to be able to catch some health issues early and at a reasonable cost. She got her official license to instruct water aerobics at Prairie Pines Assisted Living Community. It is hard to remember all she was a part of. She served on the Hospital Board, School Board, Senior Citizens, Community on Aging, Hospital Auxiliary, and 4-H leader and teacher, just to name a few.

LaVerle loved to be around people. She loved to make people laugh and would always enjoy telling a joke that she found cute, and find funny observations to point out.

In her retirement, she loved to travel with friends, seeing exciting places such as Germany, Panama, and many places within the US. She loved to gamble, playing the slot machines and bingo any chance she got. She spent several months in Laughlin, Nevada, with her good friend Loretta Siebel, as dealers at one of the casinos!

LaVerle is preceded in death by her parents Raymond and Louella Lorenz; husband, Earl Kelley, Jr.; sister, Carmen Baird; daughter, Raeann Kelley; and grandson, Kyle Morrow.

Left to remember her are children, Linnae Gibson, Vicki Garrisi, Christie (Mike) Morrow, Mark (Julie) Kelley, Devin (Angie) Kelley, and Paul (Shawn) Kelley; grandchildren, Ryan Gibson, Tyler (Cameron, fiancé) Gibson, Bradley (Tana) Morrow, Bettina Kelley, David (Marion) Kelley, Jessica Kelley, John (Alissa) Kelley, Kim (Parker, fiancé) Kelley, Madison Kelley, and Mollie Kelley; great grandchildren, Cade Morrow, Ava D’Alessandro, Lane Morrow, Wade Morrow, Kawika (Vivian, fiancé) Clarke, Allyrah Aikens, Conner Kelley, Felicity Kelley, Mark Kelley, Aurora Kelley, Damion Park, and Ronan Park; Sarah Ferris, care giver (and one of the family); nieces; nephews; and many long-time friends.

Thank you for those of you that visited and shared your experiences with LaVerle and, most of all, thank you for helping her live a VERY large life in Kiowa County.

Memorial contributions may be made to the LaVerle Kelley Memorial Fund in care of GN Bank, PO Box 847, Eads, CO 81036 to be used in the new Weisbrod Clinic. LaVerle’s family will be matching the first $5,000 in contributions.

Funeral services will be held May 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Eads Community Church in Eads, with burial following in the Eads Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Brown Funeral Home.