Obituary: LaVerne Stone Zack

LaVerne Stone Zack, 96, passed away Aug. 14, 2024, at the Covenant Living Hospice Center in Golden Valley, Minnesota. A celebration of life will be held 1-3 p.m. Oct. 24 at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet.

LaVerne was born June 19, 1928, to Helen and Thor Stone in Chicago. Her parents moved back to the Duluth-Superior area, and LaVerne attended school in Duluth, graduating from Cathedral High School in 1944 at age 16.

She attended Duluth Junior College while working full-time as an operator for Northwestern Bell in Duluth. It was there she met her future husband, Marvin Zack, who saw her working on the switchboard. They were married in 1951, and lived in Duluth until they were transferred to Omaha, where they both worked at Northwestern Bell. They were later transferred to Sioux Falls, where they lived for 25 years.

While living in South Dakota, LaVerne was involved with the Sioux Falls Community Playhouse, where she was honored with the Herb Bechtold award for outstanding service by a non-paid employee. She also was involved with the art center, ran the gift shop as a volunteer at McKennan Hospital and was involved with Beta Sigma Phi. She also became involved with antiquing and refinished and decorated her house with her finds.

When Marvin retired from Northwestern Bell in 1981, they moved back to Duluth to be closer to family. She volunteered at Glensheen Mansion as a tour guide and volunteered at the St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center. LaVerne was also involved with Beta Sigma Phi in Duluth.

Marvin passed away unexpectedly in 1990, and in 1992, LaVerne moved to Maple Grove, Minnesota to be closer to her daughter Julie. They sold at antique shows around the Twin Cities area. She served on the Maple Grove Historical Society board and volunteered at Maple Grove Days in the hospitality room. She and Julie ran the pie shop for Maple Grove Days for one year. LaVerne was involved with the Senior Center, representing the Maple Grove center in all metro senior meetings and programs. She lived in her own home and mowed her own yard until 2020, when she moved to the Wellstead Senior Living Center. She loved talking and playing bingo with the other residents.

Happy to be involved in her life are daughter, Julie (Mike) Gamber of Maple Grove; sister Carole Jean Hansen of Duluth; brothers, William (Pat) Hansen of Duluth and Dean Hansen of Superior; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by parents, Helen and Thor; husband, Marvin; sister Barbara Kay Kinghorn; and sister-in-law, Leona Hansen.