Sybil "LaVerne" Goldhorn

Castlewood, South Dakota

Memorial Service

3:00 P.M., Saturday, January 3, 2009

American Lutheran Church

Castlewood, South Dakota

Rev. William Hamill, Officiating

Memorial Visitation

1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Saturday, January 3, 2009 at the American Lutheran Church in Castlewood

Sybil LaVerne (Jensen) Goldhorn, daughter of James George and Nellie Marian (Riley) Jensen, was born May 23, 1916, at Castlewood, South Dakota. She grew up and attended school there and was united in marriage to John "Jack" Berend Goldhorn on December 30, 1933. Mr. Goldhorn died on March 21, 1974. They lived their entire life in Castlewood except for a short time in Lead, South Dakota where Jack worked in the mines. LaVerne died on Wednesday, December 31, 2008, at Golden Living Center in Lake Norden following a 10 day stay in the hospital at the age of 92 years, 7 months and 8 days.

Sybil, better known as LaVerne or "Gram" wrote a weekly column "A Chat With Gram", for the then Hayti Herald Enterprise from 1968 to 1989. She was a great Castlewood historian and was elected as Historical Chairperson for the Castlewood Centennial in 1982. She also wrote a weekly column for this event entitled "Peering Into The Past". It appeared in the Hamlin County Republican. She was Co

Gram, after raising nine children, also worked as an aide at the then St. Ann's Hospital and the Deuel County Hospital.

She was on the board of the Inter Lakes Community Action program and held offices in the American Legion Auxiliary, American Lutheran Church Women and the Castlewood Historical Society. Her last honor was being chosen Co-Grand Marshall of the Castlewood 125 year celebration in June of 2008.

LaVerne loved the Minnesota Twins and watching "The Antique Road Show" on TV. She also enjoyed having people stop to chat about the past and present and have a cup of coffee with her.She was very proud that all nine of her children and nine of her grandchildren graduated from Castlewood High School, along with two grandchildren that are still in the local school system.

Grateful for having shared her life are her seven children, Sylvia Ruhr, Terry Goldhorn and his wife Shirley, Cheryl Hogstad and her husband Dale, Sheila Thompson, Cathy Tellinghuisen, all of Castlewood, Susan Saathoff and her husband Robert of Fargo, ND, Stef Goldhorn and his wife Kristi of Castlewood; 15 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; one sister, Eileen Bohls, Spearfish, SD; a daughter

She was preceded in death by her husband Jack; two sons, James Ronald and Michael Lee; a granddaughter, Alyssa Morgan; and two sons