LaVerne Fillmore

Dates

Obituary

LaVerne Fillmore, 97, of Mitchell, SD, died Friday, June 23, 2023, at Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell. Funeral services will be at 1:30 PM Thursday, June 29, at Bittner Funeral Chapel with a visitation one hour prior to the funeral service. Burial with military honors will be at the American Legion Cemetery in Mitchell.

LaVerne Paul Fillmore was born March 25, 1926, the first child of Lela (Fullerton) and Paul Emery Fillmore in the house Paul built near Atkinson, Holt County, NE. LaVerne was joined by two sisters, Berthetta in 1927 and Shirley in 1929. Their mother became ill and died of an infection when LaVerne was only 4. His father then moved to Mitchell to teach and coach athletics at Dakota Wesleyan, where he met and married Lois Almeda Walker. Paul and Lois were early leaders of the Mitchell YMCA and YWCA. A fourth child, Emery, arrived on St. Patrick’s Day, 1932.

LaVerne attended Mitchell Public Schools and excelled in athletics. At 5’8” he was a lightweight Golden Gloves boxing champ. At 18 he was drafted into WWII right out of high school following his junior year. He reported for duty at Fort Snelling, MN on August 26, 1944. He had basic training with Company A, 215th Infantry at Camp Blanding, FL, a place known for snakes, crocs and rain. On arrival in Europe he was assigned assistant squad leader to a machine gunner unit on the Belgium-French border that followed Gen George Patton into Germany. When the lieutenant in charge was killed, LaVerne led his squad using a 1918 model rifle from WWI. (He felt he could have done a better job with his shotgun from home.) When his squad came under fire, they hit the ground. Afterwards LaVerne was feeling good about not being hit, until he reached for his helmet and saw the big dent in it. Then he became ill.

He served with the 302nd Infantry, Company 4, 94th Division, 3rd and 7th Armies that joined the Battle of the Bulge, Patton’s battalion, and crossed the Moselle River near Metz, Germany by November. US forces had been infiltrated by Germans dressed as GIs who spoke American. Following orders, LaVerne had the dubious honor of stopping and questioning Gen Patton, who wasn’t pleased. When an enemy plane fired on the men, many returned fire but nobody could hit it. Finally, LaVerne stood up and using his machine gun, lead the flying target like he would a pheasant. The plane began smoking and went down over the hill. They liberated a concentration camp. The GI’s shared their rations with the starving prisoners.

When victory was declared most soldiers went home, but LaVerne was promoted to Military Police Sergeant assigned to a German prison camp called the 3rd Army 2913, 24th Division in the Wurzburg Dispensary Service Area. Many of the staff left, so LaVerne found himself Sergeant of the Guard 24 hours a day. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge for proven combat performance with a machine gun squad. He received a second battle star for his work with military prisoners.

LaVerne came home in December 1947 and married Joyce Annabeth Heinbaugh “Bette” on February 13, 1948 at the Methodist Church parsonage, Mitchell. In her second year at Dakota Wesleyan Bette was celebrated as the girl who taught the campus to dance. LaVerne and his friends renovated the old Detlef’s Greenhouse on the corner of Montana and Havens. It became a diner for Methodist Hospital staff and travelers crossing SD. Bette was cook, cleaner, and bookkeeper at the Garden Spot Café. LaVerne was her staff, when not landscaping or working with the Mitchell Parks & Recreation Dept. The diner was later renovated into seven Garden Spot Apartments using a loan from his father, Bette’s design skills, and friends working for room and board.

Three children were born in the next five years: Richard, Karen, and Bruce.

LaVerne worked several jobs including nurseryman, postman, and tire salesman before he joined the SD State Highway Dept. As foreman of the largest district he worked 10-12 hour days and kept records of schedules, crew hours, and supply lists in tiny spiral notebooks. He mentored crews on state and federal safety guidelines and counseled young workers on life skills. He often spent a lot of time on the road. Due to LaVerne’s generous nature and sense of duty, he would paint stripes and plow roads through little hamlets that couldn’t afford to do so. He retired in 1988 after more than thirty years.

He enjoyed camaraderie with other men fishing, hunting, and bowling. He was a member of the Mitchell YMCA, Moose, and American Legion. He was a gardener and community volunteer. Active in First United Methodist Church, he ushered, was an excellent third baseman on softball league, sang in barbershop quartet, and made pancakes for fundraisers with the Wisemen’s Club. He was a Republican who enjoyed annoying Democrats, but he always voted the issue and voted for the man.

LaVerne loved homing pigeons and was a charter member of the Palace City Racers. He kept detailed notes of his birds’ parentage, speed, and racing distance. LaVerne talked with other racers from the Midwest and liked to visit other lofts. His prize birds were descendants of European international champions.

In retirement LaVerne and Bette spent twelve years visiting relatives and traveling with Good SAM's Club friends in snowbird caravans to FL, TX, AZ, and CA until Bette’s health failed. Her death in Sept. 2003 was devastating, but LaVerne continued to race pigeons, looked after his neighbors, and rode his bike to Senior Citizen lunches, where he liked to volunteer. LaVerne was proud to finally receive his diploma from Mitchell High School in May 2015. He entered Firesteel Healthcare Center that same year, at age 89. Rick faithfully drove home every few months to maintain the house, yard, and look after his dad.

Laverne is survived by his children: Richard, St. Louis Park, MN; Karen and husband, Dan Nave, Lauderdale, MN; and Bruce, Alamogordo, MN; sister: Shirley Ness, Mitchell; brother: Emery, Mission Viejo, CA; sister-in-law: Callie Heinbaugh, Escondido, CA; brothers-in-law: Fay Marsh and Ralph McLaughlin, both of Rapid City; grandchildren: Adam and wife Katie Nave, Lauderdale, MN, and Ashley Nave, Minneapolis, MN; and two great-grandchildren: Isabella and Alexander Nave.

Visitation(s)

Service

Cemetery