LaVina Mae Lanouette of Billings passed away Feb. 18, under hospice care at Billings Health and Rehabilitation. She was 92. Her son and granddaughter were by her side.

LaVina McCoy was born Dec. 10, 1919, in Sheridan. She was the second of three children to Frank F. McCoy and Essie (Boyd) McCoy.

At the age of 21, she married Gordon Duane Lanouette at St. Patricks Cathedral in Billings. The couple briefly resided in Santa Monica, Calif., where they had their first child, Rochelle. LaVina returned to Sheridan during WWII, working and raising her young daughter while her husband served in the U.S. Army in Europe.

Following his safe return, and over the next decade, the couple had three more children: Mike, Mary Lou and JoAnn. Gordons career as a petroleum engineer took the family to many rural settings throughout the Plains and Rocky Mountain West. No matter the place, hardship or duration, LaVina worked hard to make a clean, comfortable and nurturing home for her family.

She was an excellent cook, preparing from scratch favorite family comfort foods such as chicken and noodles, corn fritters, peanut butter fudge and pies. She loved plants and put her green thumb to work in beautiful flower gardens. She passed on many of her domestic talents to her daughters and granddaughters.

LaVina played the piano and enjoyed many types of music. Her family got a kick out of her quirky sense of humor and is grateful for her love and dedication as a mother and grandmother.

LaVina and Gordon settled in Billings where she worked as a nurse's aide for a time. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends in 1991. LaVina and Gordon were married 59 years when Gordon passed away in 2000.

LaVinas family is thankful for the high quality of care she received at Billings Health and Rehab and the soothing presence and therapy she received from Sister Cecily Shroepfer and family members and friends who visited LaVina in her final days.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon; parents; brother Charles McCoy; and sister Roberta Shrum.

Survivors include her children, Rochelle (Edward) Cattrell of Mexico, Mike (Mary Lou Knodel) Lanouette of Billings, Mary Lou (Ben) Behrman of California, JoAnn (Gib) Man-zanares of Colorado; grandchildren Karye Cattrell of Colorado, Heather and Brie Lanouette of Billings and Michigan, Richard Ramirez, Kristen and Corrie Knodel of Billings, Autumn Anthony of Idaho, Cody Behrman of California, Dawnelle Sling-erland, Tamera and Lacey Manzanares of Colorado; great-grandchildren Peyton, Trinity, Ziva, Heaven, Olivia and Brody; sisters-in-law Lois Batt of Billings, and Virginia Roberts of California; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private family memorial is planned for a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to Rocky Mountain Hospice, 2110 Overland Ave., Suite 111, Billings, MT

The Billings Gazette - Feb. 24, 2012.