Lavona "Voni" Richardson Curnow, 83, of Spearfish, went to her Heavenly home January 1, 2013 after a brief illness.

Voni was born on the family farm to Philip and Emma Richardson on April 26, 1929, outside of Mora, MN. She attended country school and graduated from Ogilvie, MN in 1949. Growing up Voni enjoyed the large woods around her home as well as many rivers and lakes. She enjoyed ice skating, hunting, fishing and everything outdoors. She often reminisced of berry picking and admiring the wonderful pantry that her mother always had stocked by the fall.

Voni and her sister Verna worked in Minneapolis after graduation and then moved to Deadwood to be near her sister Lorna and family; her parents were soon to follow and moved to the Black Hills. Voni was the first woman manager of the Credit Department at Montgomery Wards store in Deadwood. The sisters joined Grace Lutheran church LCMS and loved singing in the choir.

It was at a baseball game in Deadwood where she met a young Marine named Frank "Buddy" Curnow; they were married February 10, 1956. Voni said that one of the reasons why she married Bud was by the kind way that he treated his mother. From this union Philip and Frank Jr, were born.

Voni enjoyed hunting, fishing, bowling, going for long rides in the hills and family gatherings. Voni enjoyed many afternoons hunting with her family and sitting beside a lake or creek fishing. She was an avid sport participant, enjoyed watching the Minnesota Twins and Vikings; also, she enjoyed spending a few hours in Deadwood playing a slot machine and was extremely lucky.

As with all of the Richardson women, Voni was an excellent cook and taught her boys how to cook as well. Favorite memories are making fudge and pulling taffy. Voni was a well spoken woman on Civil Rights; she was a proud member of the National Organization for Women and firmly believed that all people are equal.

Voni took great comfort in her Faith. Voni was a member of Our Saviors Lutheran in Spearfish. She believed wholeheartedly in the saving Faith in Jesus. In the latter years, she was comforted by the 23rd Psalm-The Lord is My Shepard.

Voni was proceed in death by her parents, sisters Lorna Connell and Verna McVey, brother Gene Richardson and her husband of 56 years Frank Curnow. She is survived by her sons, Philip and Frank of Spearfish SD; grandsons, Benjamin Curnow of Sioux Falls SD and Daniel Curnow of Pierre. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and her long time best friend Jennie Kotak. Voni will be greatly missed. Her humor and strength was often the back bone through good times and bad.

Happy are we who fall asleep in the Lord.

Many thanks to the Spearfish medical community especially to the many caring individual of the Northern Hills Hospice organization.

Memorial services will be at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, January 5th 2013 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish.