LaVern Willard Saxe, age 77, of rural Ettrick passed away on June 28, 2013.

He was born on Feb. 5, 1936, to Leonard and Adella (Saed) Sexe of rural Ettrick. He attended a two room rural school in Hegg. LaVern graduated from Blair High School in 1954 and received a BS degree in Agriculture Education from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in 1958. On June 14, 1958, he married Charlene Wedlund of Balsam Lake. LaVern taught Vocation Agriculture at Wesboro and Edgar High Schools. In 1965 he returned to the family farm in rural Ettrick. In the interim, he was an Underwriter for Integrity Mutual Insurance Company, Interim County Agriculture Agent in Trempealeau County and Field Supervisor for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. He was an active member of North Beaver Creek Lutheran Church, Church Council Member, Men's Church Choir member, Blair District School Board and Trempealeau County Farm Bureau. His volunteer service also included forty years on the board of Occupational Rehabilitation Center Industries in LaCrosse, initiated an organizational Farmers Investment Group of Ettrick, a volunteer for United Volunteer Caregivers, and was on the PCA-Badgerland Farm Credit Board for seven years.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Charlene; six sons, Craig and Arletta (Sorenson) of Mauston, Wis., Jeffrey and Lesa (Bobo) of Ettrick, Rodney and Elizabeth (McDougall) of Blair, and Scott of Fayetteville, Ga.; daughters, Kathryn Saxe Mueller, Tucson, Ariz., Kimberly and Brian DeVries of Warrenton, Va.; a sister, LaMay and Ron Nybroten of Oregon, Wis.; and two brothers, Maynard and Florence (Nelson) of rural Ettrick and Al and Ardis (Nelson) also of rural Ettrick.

LaVern's twelve grandchildren include Kevin and Kyle, Kacee and Samantha, Olivia and Whitney, Gabriella and Jordan, Timothy and Grace Mueller, and Elyse and Anna DeVries.

With his wife, LaVern sponsored two foreign exchange students, Nils Sekse from Norway and Toma Koveleva from Russia.

LaVern was preceded in death by his father and mother, an infant brother and one son, John.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday at Jack Funeral Home and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday at North Beaver Creek Faith Lutheran Church. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at North Beaver Creek Faith Lutheran Church.