Kathryn "LaVonne" Nicodemus

Kathryn "LaVonne" Nicodemus, 93, passed away Thursday, July 3, 2025, at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Merle Hay Chapel, 4400 Merle Hay Road, DSM, IA 50310 with family and friends to celebrate the many good years she survived.

LaVonne Barton was born on November 2, 1931, in Redfield, Iowa, to Maurice Barton and Iva Wagaman. She was raised and educated in Des Moines, Iowa where she attended Roosevelt High School where she met the love of her life, Jack Nicodemus. The high school sweethearts were united in marriage in 1947 and had two children, Jack LeRoy Nicodemus, Jr., and Kathryn Lynn Nicodemus. They were married for 54 years before Jack's passing in 2001. LaVonne worked for Brenton Bank for many years before her retirement. 

She is survived by her daughter, Kathy Nicodemus of Ankeny, her daughter-in-law Nancy Nicodemus of Urbandale, grandchildren, Tom and Mary Holcomb of Ankeny, Doug, Steve (Cindy) and Michael Nicodemus as well as 6 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great granddaughter. 

LaVonne and Jack had many fond memories of family holiday get-togethers, family vacations at Lake Kabekona in Minnesota and weekends spent at their lake house on Lake Ponderosa. Over the years, she enjoyed cooking, sewing, and crocheting, monthly bridge club meetups, bowling with the girls, reading, and loyally watching The Chicago Cubs. Her grandchildren were the center of her world, and she spent most of her days supporting them, whether it was attending their sporting or school events, teaching them to sew and crochet, or convincing them that Bridge Club meant building bridges made out of toothpicks. She spent a lot of her time crocheting many baby blankets for family and friends over the years. Her hair was always hair-sprayed and curled to perfection, her shoelaces were always in a perfect bow, and she would always be wearing a decorative sweatshirt from Younkers. 

LaVonne was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Nicodemus, her parents Maurice Barton and Iva Wagaman, her son, Jack Jr., two brothers Kenneth "Leon" Barton and Dwight "Bill" Barton. She spent the last remaining years living at the Suites of Ankeny where she made many good friends while living there. She was a 40-year breast cancer survivor but passed away due to a heart ailment. LaVonne was an incredible wife, daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother and will be missed by so many.