Hometown: Olin, Iowa January 25, 1938 - December 20, 2013

Lavern W. Cruise, 75, of Olin passed away Friday, December 20, 2013 at his home.

Funeral services celebrating his life will be held on Friday, December 27, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Olin, Iowa. Family and friends may call on Thursday from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lahey Funeral Home in Olin. Burial will be at the Olin Cemetery.

Lavern W. Cruise was born January 25, 1938 at home in Hale Township to Wallace and Josephine (Poppe) Cruise. In 1958 he graduated from Olin High School. He was enlisted in the United States Army from 1957-1959. On June 24, 1961 he was united in marriage to Dorothy Krutzfield at St. John's Lutheran Church in Olin.

He farmed in earlier years until 1985 when he went into trucking, hauling cattle and hogs for area farmers. He worked in maintance at the Anamosa Care Center until 1999, also at the Olin School as a janitor and a bus driver. Seasonally he worked with Crop Production Service in Wyoming.

He was a lifetime member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Olin and a member of the Olin Jaycees. He liked to fish, camp, and deer hunt in his earlier years. He was an avid Chicago Cubs and Iowa Hawkeye fan. Lavern especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and loved them all dearly.

Lavern is survived by his wife of Olin, two children; Dean Cruise and fiancé Denise Pearson of Olin, Penny (Todd) Schmidt of Monticello, eight grandchildren; Jon and fiancé Sarah, Matt and fiancé Lorena, Katlyn, Shelby and fiancé Cody, Brandon and fiancé Tyanh, Douglas, Emma, Mary, one great-grandson Easton, one sister Karen (Mark) Intekofer of Maquoketa, and two brothers; Marion (Rena) Cruise of Central City, and Joe (Mary) Cruise of Scotch Grove.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother.

Memorials may be given to St. John's Lutheran Church or the Olin Ambulance.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.laheys.com.