LaVerna Rose Hatch Andress, age 72, entered into eternal rest on May 3, 2018. She was born on Jan. 29, 1946 to Orville and Irene (Footit) Hatch in Carrington, North Dakota and was the oldest of six children.
After graduating high school in 1964, LaVerna attended Valley City State College where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education. LaVerna began her teaching career in Grafton, North Dakota as a high school English teacher. In 1969 after a long cold winter, LaVerna set her sights for a warmer climate and found Globe, Arizona. LaVerna started teaching at Globe High School in August 1969 as the librarian where she continued to teach for 30 years.
She met the love of her life, Gary Andress, that first year in Globe and they married Feb. 13, 1970 and six years later had their only daughter, Desiree Andress-Ihrig. LaVerna loved giving back to her community and was involved in the Gila County Reading Association, Friends of the Library, Gila County Historical Society, Copper Country Quilters, Delta Kappa Gamma, and the Retired Teacher Association.
LaVerna took great joy in spending time with her grandson, Braedyn Andress-Ihrig, dancing the night away with Gary, camping with family, ATV riding with friends, cooking at holidays, Zumba, reading, and crossword puzzles. She was preceded in death by her parents Orville and Irene Hatch, sister Sandra Olson, mother-in-law Ruby(Naomi) Andress, father-in-law J.T. Andress, and sister-in-law Billie Somerville. LaVerna is survived by her husband Gary Andress, daughter Desiree (Billy) Andress-Ihrig, grandson Braedyn Andress-Ihrig, siblings Richard (LaDonna) Hatch, Linda Peavy, Sharon (William) Brown, and Orville, Jr. (Candis) Hatch, and brother-in-law Ron(Ruth) Andress.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 750 Paxton Ave., Miami, Arizona with a viewing starting at 10 a.m. A Celebration of Life will follow immediately after the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in LaVerna’s name to Pinal Mountain Foundation for Higher Education P.O. Box 2656 Globe, Arizona 85502.
