LaVerne H. (Andree) Langer

On December 26, 2021, after a morning of singing Christmas carols, LaVerne wondered aloud “When will I be dancing again with Bob?”. That afternoon, her beloved husband, Bob, called her to heaven and twirled her away into eternity. In the 70 years they had been together, the only time they had been separated was for the 13 months following his death last year. We are so heartbroken by her leaving but take great comfort knowing she is in his arms once again. 

LaVerne was born on June 24, 1928 to Elmer and Alice Andree of Milwaukee, WI. She was born into a large, boisterous, loving family and was especially close to her sisters Arleene Rose and Patricia Lee. She met the love of her life, Robert Langer, O.D.,  while working as an executive secretary at Sears Roebuck in 1951. It was love at first sight for both of them and they married on September 22, 1951.  And so the adventure began. They built their first house in Menomonee Falls and met George and Audrey Nelson at Amvets and became friends for life. Laverne was a charter member of the Dirty Dozen: childhood friends and family who laughed, played and supported each other to this day. She and Bob started their family of three children. They both loved to travel and LaVerne’s goal was to visit all of the National Parks. She was chief navigator and her keen eye and video camera documented our trips, our lives and our fun for decades. In her last years, she particularly enjoyed viewing the DVDs of all her videotaped memories. 

They moved to McFarland, WI in 1963 and life fully exploded, as friends, family, neighbors and the assorted irregulars formed a stream of guests to their home on Lake Kegonsa. Raucous, goofy, creative and exuberant, their exploits continued. Waterskiing, iceskating, fishing, pingpong, costume parties and making movie parodies with their friends ensured every weekend was an adventure. Food and drink was plentiful and the background always consisted of mom’s beautiful singing voice showcasing the latest tune or movie musical. Even in her later years, she still kept singing until the morning of her passing. We will miss hearing her voice as the background to our lives, as well as her wicked sense of humor. She enjoyed her dogs through the years and always had a beautiful garden and impeccable house. 

After Bob’s retirement, they traveled often, heading west to Bullhead City with Hank and Arleene Rose and many trips up north with Warren and Patricia Lee. They enjoyed the freedom of the open road and the beauty of the National Parks. They bought a cabin in Townsend, WI and spent many years on their pontoon boat exploring the flowage and having parties in their waterside gazebo. In their later years, LaVerne and Bob resided at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King and, true to form, expanded their family to include the wonderful staff and caregivers at King. 

 She was a great mom, the ultimate worrier, master cookie maker, videographer and a whiz at throwing together a party at a moments notice. She loved nature and spent hours taking care of the deer, birds and squirrels who regularly visited their yard. We were so lucky to have her in our lives. LaVerne and Bob were a pair. You didn’t often see one without the other. Now they are together again forever. As it should be… 

She will be forever and deeply missed by her children, Andrea Langer, Vicki (Gary) Rudzena, and Scott Langer; her loving step-family Chris (Jeanine, Sydney and Alexandra) Loomis, Pamela Dunlap, Stephanie Loomis and Morrigan and Nick Dunlap-Loomis, as well as her nieces, nephews and many friends and relatives. Her love and wit are passed on to her grandsons, Josh and Cody Langer, aka “The Boys”. 

There will be a future memorial this spring, when we will lay them both to rest together. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Red Cross, the Dane County Humane Society or by planting a memorial tree.

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