LaVere Louise Meinholdt

LaVere Louise Meinholdt, 87, of Emporia, Kansas, formerly of Wamego, died Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the Presbyterian Manor in Emporia. LaVere was a life-long resident of the Alma and Wamego communities until her move to Emporia in 2009 to be closer to family.

LaVere was born December 29, 1937, in Alma, the daughter of John F. and Mary J. (Schweir) Hasenbank. She attended local grade school and graduated from Wamego High School in 1956. LaVere enjoyed all the many activities of a girl raised in rural Kansas, riding her bike, roller skating, playing Jacks and enjoying imaginary tea parties with her own set of dishes and dolls. In later years LaVere would share those stories with her granddaughters and enjoy their tea parties with dishes she had saved from her youth. And she taught each of them how to play jacks.

LaVere married Frank D. Meinholdt on November 11, 1956, in Wamego. They shared their lives, raised their family and cared for each other for sixty-four years until his death on February 12, 2021. LaVere was a proud homemaker but also worked as a city clerk, a secretary for the Wamego Telephone Company and the Wamego Times and assisted at the local flower shop. Over the years she also sold Avon. LaVere loved coffee with friends, and she often volunteered at the local hospital. She was a member of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Wamego and Messiah Lutheran Church in Emporia.

LaVere loved to sew and was a talented seamstress and quilt maker. She enjoyed crocheting Afghans and baby blankets as well as sewing clothes for her granddaughters and their dolls. She was a member of a quilting guild and would often frequent quilt shops around Kansas and nearby states. For twenty years, LaVere made small individual Christmas stockings, filled with goodies, for her daughter-in-law’s elementary classes as well as other items for the classroom. LaVere and Frank loved spending time with their family. She enjoyed watching their dance recitals, sporting events and 4-H activities. She enjoyed cooking and was especially fond of making desserts.

LaVere is survived by her son, Alan Meinholdt (Nancy), Emporia; her granddaughters, Rachel Stubbs (Murphy), Cindy Symmonds (Peter), both of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and Karen Gering (Jordan), Paola, Kansas; as well as her great-grandchildren, Arthur, Hudson, and Owen. She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Campanella and Stewart Funeral Home in Wamego. Inurnment will follow in Wamego City Cemetery. The family will greet friends prior to the service beginning at 10:00 am. They suggest memorial contributions to Emporia Regional Quilt Guild (an organization that makes quilts for veterans) or Presbyterian Manor of Emporia. Please make checks out to the organization and then you may send those in care of the funeral home at PO Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547. Online condolences may be left at www.campanellastewart.com.