Lavere A. Kossick

On August 22, 2013, LaVere Ada Farnham Kossick passed away peacefully at Sanford Palliative Care, Fargo, ND.
She was born to Howard and Elizabeth Buendinger Farnham on September 27, 1914 in Chaffee, ND. LaVere was the fourth of eight children. She attended school in Chaffee before the family moved to Fargo in 1929, the year of the Great Depression. There she helped raise her younger siblings.
In 1933 she married Alexander F. Kossick, Sr. They made their home in Moorhead. Alex passed away in September 2007. Together they had 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. When her husband was drafted into the Army WW2 she was left alone with 3 children struggling to make ends meet. It was at this time she started sewing for other people. She became quite the seamstress, which served her well for the rest of her life.
LaVere had babies in the years of the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s, completing a family of 5. She had just 7 years from having her last child before her first grandchild was born, extending her motherhood into the next generation.
LaVere was a member of the St. Ansgar Hospital Auxillary of Moorhead, where she spent many hours volunteering. She was also active in the Rotary Club, Moorhead Country Club, and Catholic Daughters of St. Joseph’s Church in Moorhead. She spent some of her free time playing Bridge in several Bridge clubs in Fargo-Moorhead. She also enjoyed golfing. LaVere worked retail for Puffe’s Jewelry Store in Moorhead, The Classic in the Moorhead Center Mall, Black’s in Brookdale Mall in Moorhead, and many years at the family owned Kossick’s Off-sale in Moorhead. She also did alterations in her home for family and friends, finally retiring at age 82.
She was known for her baked goods, especially homemade donuts, divinity and penuche. No one could match her jam, jelly and fudge-making skills. She was a life-time member of St. Joseph’s Church whose bazaars were the beneficiary of her wonderful pies and decadent cakes for decades. LaVere also enjoyed the occasional trip to donate to the charities at the local casinos, and she would generally come home richer from the experience. Her home, were she resided for the past 56 years, had many flowers around it, including tulips, roses, lily of the valley and treasured hollyhocks, with an occasional garden in the backyard. She would always comment on the beauty of flowers whenever she saw them. In her later years, her daughters made sure she continued to have fresh flowers surrounding her and her home.
She was independent and skilled enough to drive her own car until she was 93. When she could no longer drive, going for a ride in the spring to see all the flowers and the crops coming up and in the fall to see the colors of the leaves and fields during the harvest was a pastime she enjoyed.
Those were her interests, but her top priorities were her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. All received and cherished her homemade cakes on their birthdays. She knew which flavor was everyone’s favorite. When anyone needed a sitter, she would gladly babysit at a moment’s notice. She was truly a mother of all mothers. She never complained. Holidays were always very important to her! The English in her really shined through when she entertained during the Christmas season. LaVere opened her home at Christmas, inviting family, extended family, friends and a hired Santa. The compliments were many on her impeccably ironed and decorated tablecloths and matching cloth napkins. Many of the tablecloths were adorned with sequins, appliquéd angels and lace, doing all the sewing herself. Her extensive angel collection was evident throughout her home and her Christmas tree was decorated exclusively with hundreds of angels. Homemade food, treats and gifts made it a memorable event for all.
After a “hobo” helped one of her sons when he was accidentally shot in the hand while hunting pigeons, LaVere fed every one of them that knocked on her door. And there were many, living across the street from the RR made it very convenient for them. LaVere was a genuinely good-hearted person all the days of her life.
LaVere is survived by her daughter-in-law Connie Alex Jr. Kossick, son Rodney Sue Melrose Kossick of Modesto, CA, daughter Sharon Eugene Schroeder of Lake Park, MN, daughter Rochelle Joe Allen of Moorhead, MN, son Michael Dawn Kossick of Hunter, ND, her grandchildren, Stephanie Curt Hartog of Vergas, MN, Kim Holloway Sommerville of Lake Park, MN, Stephanie Davis of Texas, Patrick Kossick, Kelly Kossick of Colorado, Kim Kossick of Modesto, CA, Jill Schroeder of Lake Park, MN, Chris Schroeder of Fargo, ND, Kari Schroeder of Devils Lake, ND, McAdam Majors of Roseville, MN, Adam and Alyssa Allen of Kentucky, Melissa Kossick of Fargo, ND, Nicholas Alexa Kossick of Moorhead, MN, Benjamin Kossick of Hunter, ND, and Ashley Kossick of Kindred, ND. She was also blessed with 29 great-grandchildren one more on the way and 4 great-great grandchildren and a multitude of nieces and nephews.
LaVere was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Elizabeth Farnham, her brother Gilmore, sisters Vernette Jorgenson and Adair Benedict, husband Alex Kossick Sr., son Alex Jr., daughter-in-law Carol Kossick, grandchildren Jon Scott Enstrom, Todd Enstrom, and Shelby Sommerville.

Memorial Gathering: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. at Wright Funeral Home, Moorhead, MN.

Memorial Service: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 at 5:00 P.M. at Wright Funeral Home, Moorhead, MN.