Funeral Service: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 at 2:00 pm at the Chapel of Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City
Interment: will follow at the Eastern Montana Veterans Cemetery in Miles City
Vonnie Colgrove (1919-2005) born to Miles City architect, Casper Strom and his wife, Clara, who named her Verona T. Strom, died peacefully in her sleep the morning of May 6. Her passing gave her refuge from the painful ravages of Parkinson's and osteoporosis.
Vonnie was born in Bejou, Minnesota, on September 3rd, 1919, moving with her parents and siblings to Miles City in the late l920's where Casper designed and built over 300 buildings and homes, including the Stevenson Funeral Home in Miles City where she now temporarily resides. Vonnie attended Custer County High School, Class of 1936, and while she had no formal education, she was well-known to Montana lawyers as Roland V. (Laddie) Colgrove's wife and paralegal, specializing in medical legal research. Laddie and Vonnie spent many late nights researching and preparing for jury trials. They also traveled to many legal seminars together as Laddie was on the Board of Directors of the American Trial Lawyers Association and one of the founding members and past president of the Montana Trial Lawyers. After their marriage in 1952, they were inseparable, trying personal injury cases together, dancing, cooking, partying and taking yearly extended trips to Mexico. They traveled around the world, including several ocean cruises.
After Laddie retired from the practice of law in 1979, Laddie and Vonnie spent the majority of their time in Acapulco, Mexico. Then in 1984 they build a home on the beach in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida where they resided until returning to Miles City in 1992. Laddie passed away three years later. Before her marriage to Laddie Colgrove, Vonnie was married to Theodore (Ted) Hanson. To that marriage two children were born, a son, Terry J. Hanson (wife Deborah) of Miles City and a daughter, Cheryl L. (Sheri) Parker (husband Rick) of Miles City.
Vonnie was preceded in death by her brothers Arley and Sylvester (Slivers) Strom.
She is survived by her sister Jeannie Labree (husband Frank) of Ingomar, and their daughters Julie, Lori, Lisa, Frankye Sue, and Jodi. Vonnie is also survived by her two children Terry and Sheri, her sister-in-law Ruby Strom, and her three children, LeeAnnaBabcock (husband Mike), Connie Heiman (husband Tom), and John Strom, her grandsons Leo V. Gruba (wife Cheryl) and their two sons Leo R. and Robert of Gulfport, Mississippi, James Gruba (wife Beth) of Billings, MT, and their daughter Amber of Gillette, WY; and last but not least, her dog, Dusty. Vonnie also leaves behind her three care-givers Shari Robinson, Phyllis Riley, and Michelle Maes. With their loyalty and care, Vonnie was able to remain in her home until the end.
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