Laverne Firme

LaVerne Trimle Firme, the son of Francis Jacob and Alvina (Lenz) Firme, was born on April 15, 1930 at home at Hastings, NE. He received his education at an area country school, Gibbon High School in Gibbon, NE, and Kearney State in Kearney, NE. On October 5, 1952, LaVerne was united in marriage to Peggy Lee McKibbon at Kearney. They made their home in Kearney until 1956, when they moved to Dickenson, ND, Albert Lea, MN and Burnsville, MN before settling in Mountain Lake, MN in 1968. LaVerne began his career as a sales trainee with New Holland in 1950, before being an owner of LL Implement in Mountain Lake from 1968 - 1985. They also owned the County Line Bar in Ormsby, MN, and he worked at Midway Farm Implement and Peterson Snyder Drug. He was a member of the Mountain Lake Fire Department, a member of the Mountain Lake Golf Course and responsible for the construction of hole #5, served on the City Council, active in the Presbyterian Church, a supporter of the Mountain Lake Community, a fan of theNebraska Corn Huskers, and he had a great sense of humor. Family was very important to LaVerne, and he loved and had great pride in his children and grandchildren. LaVerne died on Friday, September 14, 2007, at the Good Samaritan Village in Mountain Lake. LaVerne is survived by three children, Pam Radtke and her husband Lyle of Mountain Lake, Mike Firme and his wife Cindy of Redwood Falls, MN, and Rick Firme and his wife Corinne of Ellendale, MN; six grandchildren, Brandon Radtke, Korey Radtke, Alyssa Winters, Justin Firme, Lindsay Firme and Tyler Firme; four great grandchildren, Morgan Radtke, Nolan Radtke, Chase Radtke, and Aayla Winters; three sisters, Virginia Dearen of Bedford, TX, Ardyce Pitke of Eugene, OR, and Bernice Crews of Kerrville, TX; a brother, Robert Firme of Gibbon, NE; many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Peggy Firme on March 13, 2007; and two brothers, Donald and Gerald Firme.