LaVina C. Fuller passed away on Monday, September 27th at the Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo, IA. She was born on February 19, 1937 in Sheridan, Wyoming, daughter of John and Ruth (Carroll) Driskill. She grew up in Sheridan, completing all her school years there as well as her first year of college at Sheridan Junior College.

She then headed to Nebraska by train to continue her education at Hastings College. Upon arrival a handsome student representing Hastings College named Maurice “Mort” Fuller welcomed LaVina at the train station and escorted her to the college campus where the rest is history. Mort spent many family dinners re-telling the story of when he first met the love of his life, “Viney.” They were married on August 25, 1958 and were married 56 ½ years until Mort’s passing in May of 2015.

LaVina completed her BA in education by attending Morningside College in the summers between school years. Mort and LaVina lived and taught in many Midwest school districts including Hastings, NE, Carson, Mapleton and Sloan, Iowa. They eventually moved back to Sheridan where they continued raising their three sons and where LaVina resumed teaching and then retired from a 29 year teaching career in 1994, along with Mort.

After retiring, Mort and LaVina built a log home on family land in the mountains of Story, Wyoming. Story became a beautiful and serene spot for family vacations for the entire family with abundant memories packed into that special season of their lives. In 2009, due to Mort’s heart condition and through a desire to be closer to their three sons, Mort and LaVina moved back to the Midwest, making their home in Cedar Falls, IA. They wintered in Corpus Christie, TX and Palm Springs, CA and enjoyed visiting friends and family.

She is survived by her three sons and their wives, Kevin (Karyn) Fuller of Franklin, TN, Doug (Sandi) Fuller of Overland Park, KS, and John (Kay) Fuller of Cedar Falls, IA; her 8 grandchildren, Melissa (Tony) Czech of TN, Lindsey (Todd) Hurst of CT; Brock (Laura) Fuller of TN, Jackson Fuller and Mackenzie Fuller of KS; Allyson (Chris) Latta, Shane (Brynn) Fuller, and Karly (Ben) Fessler, all of IA; and her 14 great-grandchildren (13 great-grandsons and 1 great-granddaughter!); sister, Ruth Faye (Doug) O’Neal; brother-in-law, Richard (Bev) Fuller; sisters-in-law, Sandra Rea, Karen Mellott, Verona Fuller and Judy (Bob) Thomas.

LaVina was preceded in death by her husband, Mort; brothers-in law, Everett Fuller, and Bruce Fuller; and one sister-in-law, Barb Fuller.

She loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom she said “Yes” to at an early age. She was baptized on January 17, 1946, in First Baptist Church of Sheridan, Wyoming, and she began every morning with her Bible and prayer time. She loved being a member of Prairie Lakes Church. She was known for her quiet strength, her dedication to family, her quick-and sometimes, unexpected-wit, and for all the favorites she would make for her kids and grandkids including smokey pie, monkey bread, cinnamon bread, and homemade macaroni and cheese. She loved creating her own cards and expressing her love and appreciation to people through her cards. She was an avid KC Royals fan and shared this special bond with her KC family. She loved any kind of family gathering and holding her great-grandchildren and watching them play.