Lavern Dinning, 80

Lavern Dinning, 80, of Bonners Ferry, passed away on Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, in Coeur d’Alene.

Services will be held at St. Pius Catholic Church in Coeur d’ Alene at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014.

Lavern was born in Rush, Colo., to Mary Walker and Roland Dinning on Sept. 7, 1933.

He married Eunice Vandenberg on May 3,1953, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church where they both were members. He and his wife settled down in Bonners Ferry where he fathered his two daughters and grew a massive garden.

He retired in 1993 after working for the city of Bonners Ferry Water Department. Vern loved the outdoors and often enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and feeding all manner of animals that visited his home.

It was in the rivers and woods of Bonners Ferry that he taught his grandchildren to catch frogs and grasshoppers, fish with his home-raised earthworms and to enjoy nature to its fullest.

Quite the rascal, he was always quick with a joke or a goofy observation. He loved stealing noses and food off of plates when you weren’t looking. Driving in his truck he would honk and wave at strangers, cows and horses and even street signs to the delight of his young ones.

He had an exceptionally green thumb and a garden that produced preserves, pies and vegetables to no end (with the help of his wife). The pride of his garden were the hazelnut trees that gave him buckets of nuts every fall.

Lavern is survived by his wife ,Eunice; two daughters, Connie Blacketer and LaDonna Dinning and son-in-law, Victor Blacketer. He is also survived by his three grandchildren Paul, Hayden and Cassie Blacketer; sister Mary Ula Schaller and brother, Gifford Dinning, and a large and much loved extended family.

Yates Funeral Home has been entrusted with the care of final arrangements.