Dear Russell,

I (Matt) was out of state for Miss Lavon's funeral, so I wanted to share a few memories. I hope that this post is not too late.

My first memory of Miss Lavon's house comes from maybe around five years old. I remember being frustrated that Miss Lavon made Carly, Curt, Hunter, and I write a page in our journals and read for 30 minutes before we could play games at her house.  Little Matt did not understand then how much Miss Lavon's exercises would help us succeed in school.

But Miss Lavon did much more than help us succeed academically; she taught us personal responsibility as we grew up. At my house, I was the youngest of triplets. At Miss Lavon's house, I was one of the "big kids." That meant that I needed to help herd everyone from the bike racks of Oakwood Elementary to Miss Lavon's house after school every day.

At her house, I feel like I grew up with childhood experiences reminiscent of previous generations. We played in the backyard on Water Day (Monday), we planned our own physics experiments in the front yard on Science Day (Tuesday), and we helped the little ones with their glue and scissors on Craft Day (Wednesday).

But we really remember Miss Lavon because of her compassion. She made sure that none of the kids at her house felt left out. She consoled us when our elementary school girlfriends broke up with us. And even when she assaulted a skinned knee with her infamous neosporin spray, she only did it out of love! 

Miss Lavon used to take my books away when I was little (she was afraid that I would grow up to be anti-social). Apparently, that worked: I am married to a beautiful wife of two years and I work in a job where I relate to people all the time... probably thanks to Miss Lavon.

My favorite memory of Miss Lavon is when she sat next to my grandmas at my high school graduation party. She really was my grandma, teacher, and friend. May God care for her in death as we live differently because of her life.

Love,
Matt Sapp

Miss Lavon was love in action.  She was quiet accepting but taught amazing lessons and morals.  She modeled the love of Christ.  She was part of our family not by blood but by her love.  She cared for Carly, Curt and Matt as if they were her own.  She was essentially a very young grandma to them.  She inspired confidence, a love of learning but mostly a love of people in all she met.  

Miss Lavon you will be truly missed! You started taking care of Cali a little before she turned 1 and took care of Johnny since he was a baby. The only person(outside of family) that I trusted with my kids! My kids loved you so much and enjoyed being at your house. They felt safe and loved. You did so much from making crafts, helping with homework, to celebrating birthdays, your yearly carnival for the kids! You did water days, you did the girls hair and potty training- the list goes on! Thank you so much for being a part of our lives and helping me raise the kids! Miss Lavon had so much love and compassion. She was truly one of a kind.  We are so blessed she was part of our lives for over 12 years. Johnny still asks about you and when he can see you, I can’t bring myself to tell him yet. I could go on and on about Lavon. She was truly special and we miss her dearly. 

Miss Lavon was one of the most kind, loving, caring individuals I know.  I don't think I ever saw her mad.  She was literally my lifesaver when I was in an emergency situation needing childcare.  She was willing to watch Shealyn on a trail basis.  Well that trail basis turned in to 12 years of friendship and a grandmother figure to both our girls, Shealyn and Victoria.   Miss Lavon will be greatly missed but the memories we have will live on.  Thank you Lavon for all the great years and memories you have given the kids that were lucky to have you care for them.  The Beaumonts love Miss Lavon.


Thank you Miss Lavon for being a second grandparent to my children. You taught them to read and to write. Along with the proper use of words. Kaylin still gets on her brother Carter about using the word “ain’t” saying that “ Miss Lavon wouldn’t like you using that word!” I don’t have any pictures of you but my phone is loaded of pictures of the kids at your house known as the “ Miss Lavon Kids!”  

She made up these little songs she would play by ear on the piano. Small little hopeless romantic ones she made throughout her teenage years about falling in love with people back to back. They weren’t long, fairly short, with goofy messages she would add as she played. Her mother was big on theater, she acted in her fair share of plays, but as a result she knew a lot of old musicals. She had a favorite song from one musical, Cinderella. The song is called “In My Own Little Corner.” She would sing what she remembered of the lyrics constantly. Disney has always been something she loved, mainly the princesses, mainly Cinderella. She would compare herself constantly to cartoon, book, or movie characters: Sadness from Inside Out, Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh, Cinderella, just to name a few. She would imagine herself in fantasy worlds as characters she liked. As I grew up, staying the night at her house was something I did often. Every night I did she would remember what particular pillow I liked (I was very particular about it) and sing me and my brothers to sleep, either with I Am a Child of God or with a little song she made up called I Am Special. She would rub our backs as she sang. As I grew up and moved on to high school, I didn’t see her as much as I would have liked to, but I did go visit as often as I could. There was this one time where she was laughing so hard she was in tears over the thought of me driving my dad’s truck. She couldn’t imagine her small, 5’2” granddaughter in a big truck that she would have to jump i to in order to get into a seat. These are just few of the very many memories I have of her. She was basically my second mother, the best grandmother anyone could have, one of the sweetest women, a true soldier, considerate, nurturing, hilarious, child-like, and always having a sense of wonder and fantasy in everything she did. I love her and I always will. She will always be one of the most important people in my life. I miss her and I always will

Miss Lavon has been part of my kids/grandkids lives for over 15 years.  Some people who watch kids a babysitter, but Miss Lavon was  not a babysitter, she was an amazing woman who for decades cared for children in her home and wore many hats.  She was a lifeline for some, a safety zone for others,  a confidant, a teacher, a nurturer, and so much more.  If I had to use one word to describe Lavon it would be love.  Kids always felt accepted, could spill their hearts and know their secrets were safe.  She did not judge, she just helped them to navigate the difficult situations in their lives and gave them love.   Long after my kids needed a place to go after school or in the summer they went because they wanted to be there.  I am forever grateful that my kids/grandkids were lucky enough to be "Miss Lavon's Kids".    We are going to miss her everyday, but she will not be gone for we will hold her close in our hearts and treasure the memories forever. 
Russell, Christopher, Pam, Emily, Daniel - We are so sorry for your loss.  Thank you for sharing her with us for all those years.  All of Miss Lavon's former kids I am sure have great memories,  but for some of the kids over the years she was the glue that held their life together, the structure and stability they desperately needed. she was truly their lifeline.  
She was incredible - simply the best of the best.  This world will not be the same without her in it. 

Miss Lavon was an extraordinary woman who played a great part in making me the person I am today. I remember going to her house everyday before school when I was in 7th grade year. She would give me advice everything from drama, boys, fashion, school work, etc all while giving an amazing and helpful perspective. One of my favorite memories of her is when I was assigned a project for social studies. I had to create a treasure map for the Civil War. Miss Lavon and I were coming up with ideas on  how to make it look like an actual treasure map. She came up with the brilliant idea to burn the edges to make it look old. Before she did it on my project she decided to practice on a different sheet of paper. That morning we had a great laugh as I watched her try not to burn her fingers off. She successfully helped me burn the edges of my project. I ended up getting an A on my project and my teacher wrote on the paper that she had never seen the burning of edges. When I went back to Miss Lavon's house, I showed her my paper with a big fat A on it and we shared a victory hug and chuckled as we read the commentary my teacher had put on the paper. That memory has got to be a favorite of mine.

There was one time when I spent the night at Miss Lavon's house with Kara and while we were watching a movie in the play room Miss Lavon was in the kitchen fixing father's day craft that the kids had made. No glue was working to fix these crafts so she pulled out the super glue and ended up getting the bottle of super glue, super glued to her thumb. Kara walked into the kitchen and was in there for a while so I went in to see what was going on. All of us were laughing to the point of tears trying to figure out how to get this bottle of super glue off of Miss Lavon's thumb. To make matters worse it was on her dominate hand! Miss Lavon said "All I'm thinking is how am I supposed to change a diaper with this on my thumb." After trying everything to get it off we finally came to lemon oil as the solution. From then on lemon oil was the go to in order to get super glue off of anything.
- Shealyn Beaumont

OBITUARIO

Lavon Harris

6 mayo, 1956 – 3 junio, 2022

West Resthaven Funeral Home & Resthaven Park Cemetery

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