Laverda Payson

LaVerda Mildred Payson , age 92, formerly of Danbury and Frederic, WI, passed away Wednesday, July 19, 2017. LaVerda was born in Mason City, Iowa, on November 30, 1924, a daughter of the late William and Mildred (Larson) Hutton.  She was educated in the public schools of northern Polk County, WI.  On October 14, 1967, LaVerda was united in marriage to Melvin B. Payson at the Siren United Methodist Church.  After their union, the couple moved to Antioch, IL.  She was employed at Nu Way Speaker Products in Antioch for many years.  She previously had worked at the InterCounty Leader in Frederic and at the Duncan Yo-Yo factory in Luck. After LaVerda’s and Melvin’s retirements in the mid-1980s, they moved back to Frederic.  The past few years, they had been residing in Ladysmith, WI.  Melvin passed away on April 18, 2017. They had been married over 49 years. LaVerda enjoyed crocheting and knitting, reading novels, solving word puzzles, and also fishing.  She also loved traveling with Melvin all over the United States and had visited every state in the union, except Maine and Hawaii. She is preceded in death by her parents, Mildred and William Hutton; her husband, Melvin Payson; children: Terry Briggs, at birth, and Warren Briggs; siblings: Leola (Archie) Saros, Virgil (Alice) Hutton, Imogene (Tom) Heimer, Erling Hutton, Delroy Hutton, and Vernon Hutton; brothers-in-law: Ray Growt and Chuck Banta; and her first husband, James D. Briggs. LaVerda is survived by children: Larry Briggs, Susan Norris, and Janet (Ken) Sandel; grandchildren: Susanne Norris, Edward Norris, Sarah (Darin) Peterson, Renee Sandel, David Sandel, Travis Briggs and Jason Briggs; and great-grandchildren: Nolan Johnson, Dylan Peterson, and Kody Peterson. She is also survived by siblings: Arlene Panek, Eunice Banta, Charles Hutton (Linda), James (Jackie) Hutton, and Nancy (Larry) Cox; many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends. The memorial service honoring the life of LaVerda Payson will be conducted at 11:00 am (visitation 10:00 to 11:00 am), Thursday, August 3, 2017, at Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home in Webster, WI.  Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery.  A fellowship luncheon will follow.