August 23, 1935 – December 21, 2020 (age 85)
Vonda Rae Lauritzen (1935 – 2020), age 85, passed away Monday, December 21, 2020 in Logan, Utah.
Vonda was the second of four children born to William Downing Ferney and Helen Elizabeth Crapo in Parker, Idaho. She grew up in Parker with her siblings Bill Ferney (deceased), Marjean Schupe (deceased), and Don Ferney (of Logan, Utah).
After graduating from South Fremont High School in 1953, she married Randy Vean Douglass and they became the parents of 7 children: Jessi and Lane Christianson, Dan and Penny Douglass, Wayne and Janet Douglass, Vance Douglass (deceased), Shane and Lori Douglass, Moky Douglass, and Susan Douglass.
Vonda graduated from Ricks College and the family moved to Hyrum, where she earned a BS degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Speech Therapy from USU. She worked for USU’s Center for Persons with Disabilities as a speech therapist, a job that included travel to many states and the Navajo reservation, writing proposals for federal grants, and assessing the needs of students in school districts in the era before special education was available. She loved and excelled in this work.
Randy and Vonda divorced in 1979. She married Arden Lauritzen in 1983 and they lived happily in Logan, Utah. Vonda had a life-long love for art, a talent which she pursued with enthusiasm after retirement. Her paintings were frequently featured in exhibitions and she won many awards. Vonda founded an artist’s co-op, and she and her friends displayed their work in her art studio.
Vonda’s true legacy is her family – her 7 children, 33 grandchildren, and 70 great-grandchildren – and their love of God and service to others. Her husband, Arden, her children, her grandchildren, and her many friends feel extremely blessed to have had her in their lives and cherish many sweet memories with her.
The family would like to thank the staff at Rocky Mountain Care Center in Logan who took wonderful care of Vonda during her final year of life. A memorial service in Vonda’s honor will be held at a later date.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at Cache Valley Mortuary.