Laverne was born in the West Texas town of Stamford in 1924 and raised in nearby Abilene. Laverne was the youngest of seven children in the Gratz and Lorena Baker family.

Laverne married Lt. Albert Selden Elliott on July 24, 1943. After her husband returned from the Pacific Theater in 1945, they settled in a small Texas town where their son, Michael, was born. They moved to Sturgis in 1953.

Laverne graduated from Black Hills Teachers College to follow in the teaching footsteps of her four older sisters. She began her career teaching kindergarten at Deadwood Public Schools in 1959. On her first day, with 45 students she did not know, a forest fire surrounded Deadwood. The city had to be evacuated. She later said "There was nothing in my lesson plan for this insanity."

A few years later, she accepted a job teaching first grade in Sturgis, first at Badger-Clark Elementary School and later at Sturgis Elementary. She retired in 1988, twenty-nine rewarding years as a teacher.

Teaching young children was her life's work and passion. She believed it was her duty to ensure that every child who passed through her classroom would be able to read . . . and she believed that reading should be Fun! Fun! Fun! She strongly believed if children could not read at the end of first grade, their future was bleak.

A number of her students were inspired by her to become elementary teachers . . . and some of them still use her "Fun-Fun-Fun" tricks-of-the-trade.

She was publicly recognized for her work in the classroom when she was named South Dakota Teacher of the Year. She also served on the governor's Education Task Force.

Throughout her life in Sturgis, Laverne was active in many local organizations, including the Sturgis Area Arts Council, Fort Meade History Museum, St. Thomas Church, Delta Kappa Gamma, and PEO. She had an intense love of gardening and entertaining her many friends gave her great pleasure.

Laverne (Baker) Elliott, 94, died Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at Sturgis Regional Senior Care in Sturgis, SD.

Survivors include her son, Michael (Kathy); many nieces and nephews; and her devoted companion, Don Dubbe.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Al.

Visitation will be Sunday, March 25, 2018, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.

Funeral Services will be 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 26, 2018, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sturgis, SD, with Reverend Bunker Hill officiating. Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Sturgis Senior Center or Sturgis Area Arts Council.

Click on link to view service folder