LaVerne Brown Mechling

Beloved mother, sister, grandmother and “Grandma-Great,” LaVerne Brown Mechling, aged 92, passed away at her home in Bountiful, Utah on May 9, 2016.

LaVerne and her twin sister LaVon Brown Albertson were born on July 25, 1923 in Magna, Utah to Rhoda Ann Christensen Brown and William Vernile Brown. She had one older sister, Lola Brown Beck, and two younger sisters, Wilma Brown DaRonch and Marilyn Brown Coats. In 1935 the family settled into their rural home in Granger, Utah, where LaVerne lived until she married Robert Burrel (“Bob”) Mechling in 1946.

Our very own “Rosie the Riveter,” LaVerne worked full-time during World War II as part of the Home Front of female workers supporting the war efforts; including the Remington Arms ammunition plant, running a machine that made 50 caliber brass casings and tracer bullets, and the Eitel/McCollough "Eimac" Factory assembly lines, soldering wires onto radar tubes.

LaVerne met her sweetheart, Bob Mechling, at the S&M Roller Rink in Granger when she was 16 years old. They dated after he returned from his service in the war, and were married in 1946. They built their home in Bountiful in 1950 where they raised their 6 children and lived out the rest of their days together. They were sealed in the Salt Lake temple in 1983 and were married for over 59 years. Bob died January 20, 2006.

LaVerne served faithfully in the church and lived in the Val Verda 3rd Ward for 62 years. She held the calling of Visiting Teaching Supervisor for over 52 years, and also loved working in the Primary and the Scouting program. In the 1970’s she took a job as a cook at the school cafeteria to help fund her sons’ missions. She and Bob were temple workers in the Bountiful temple for seven years, which was a highlight of their retirement. Over the years she made wonderful memories with her family, and especially enjoyed camping trips to Canada, road and train trips to California, and an extended vacation to France.

LaVerne’s greatest joy in life was her family. She was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother, extremely generous and compassionate. She enjoyed being a homemaker; her father taught her how to cultivate a garden and she kept 26 fruit trees in her own orchard in Bountiful. She was a skilled quilter and crochet artist and shared many afghans and quilts with her children and grandchildren.

LaVerne is survived by her sisters LaVon and Marilyn, her children Robert (Sharon), Barbara (Laurence) Hilton, Ken (Claudia), Doug (Pam), Don (Kathryn) and Ed (Kathy), twenty-four grandchildren and 47 great-grandchildren (plus 3 on the way). She was preceded in death by her husband Bob, her sisters Lola and Wilma, and her grandson Matt.

A viewing will be held Friday May 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Russon Brothers Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful. Funeral services 11:00 AM Saturday May 14 in the LDS Stake Center 2651 South 500 West, Bountiful, preceded by a viewing from 9:45 to 10:45 AM.