Lavonne Schnell

Mae Lavonne Eckoff Schnell, 78, of Birmingham, Alabama died Friday, December 8, 2017. Visitation will be on Sunday, December 17, 2017 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Ridout's Southern Heritage Funeral Home & Cemetery, 475 Cahaba Valley Road, Pelham, Alabama, followed by the funeral service at 5 p.m. Interment will be at Ohlman Cemetery in Ohlman, Illinois via Sutton Memorial Home, Nokomis, Illinois. Lavonne graduated from Nokomis High School in 1956, and worked as a stenographer for the State of Illinois, until she married her high school sweetheart in 1959. They were married for 56 years. Lavonne was a Girl Scout Leader for Shemamo Troop 32 in Decatur, Illinois. She volunteered as a church pianist and elementary school library assistant. She worked as a secretary for School District 61 in Decatur. Lavonne lived in Maryland, Maine, Arkansas and Illinois, but called Alabama home for 28 years. Lavonne was an active member of the United Church of God Birmingham and the Indian Valley Ladies Club. She volunteered at the Oak Mountain Missions Ministries. She was an avid bowler and enjoyed roller and ice skating. Each month she looked forward to playing Bunco with her neighborhood friends. She loved teaching family and friends the domino game called Mexican Train. Surviving are Lavonne's children, Tara Schnell Horst (Kent Horst) of Arlington, Texas, Marika Schnell Zacharias (Rob Zacharias) of Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, and John Robert "Jack" Schnell (Marianne Schnell) of Plano, Texas; four grandchildren, Sophia Horst, Devin Peters, Garrett Peters and Corinne Schnell; and three step-granddaughters, Ashley, Courtney and Ariel Zacharias. Lavonne was predeceased by her husband, Robert August Schnell, her parents, Otto and Myrtle (Stanley) Eckoff, and one grandson, Rutger Stanley Horst. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the charity of your choice.

Published in The Birmingham News on Dec. 15, 2017