Grace LaVonne Liggett

On Wednesday, May 27, 2020 @ 11:18 pm, Grandma Grace crossed the finish line into Heaven. Grace never went anywhere without her cigarettes, cash in her pocket and her house key. We all swore she was held together by the tobacco from her cigarettes and the processed food she ate, and we were lucky to have her for as long as we did. Grace’s race started with her grand entry into this world on August 14, 1930, in the town of Patricia, S.D. The fourth child of William and Clarice Junge, she was adventurous, tough & stubborn. She was raised with her 5 sisters and one brother in a sod house built by their father on the border of the Pineridge reservation. As a farming family they raised and grew their own food. Her farm life instilled in her a passion for animals which carried on throughout her long life. Home wasn’t all roses though, as she grew up in The Depression. Her father was a mean person and at the age of 16, having had enough of his tirades, Grace left home. With nothing but a dime in her pocket and a couple items of clothing, Grace walked to the neighbor’s house and never looked back. She stayed with them for a while until she found her own place. She went on to work washing dishes and waiting on tables in Martin, S.D. at a local diner to earn 35 cents an hour. Her dad never gave her a bad time after that. At 18, she met her partner in crime, Leonard Liggett, and they became inseparable. Grace and Leonard had a whirlwind romance that turned into a marriage of 62 and a half years. A few months later their first son, Danny, was born. Grace and Leonard’s whirlwind took them to Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, back to Iowa and then back to South Dakota before they and their 4 rugrats moved to California with their best friends, Jerry and Dene Tugel and their children. Once in California, Grace and her family spent a minute in Redondo Beach before they made their way up to Etna in 1956 where they remained. Grace loved being a mom and a wife. Her children, Danny, Jerry, Judy and David, always knew they were loved and taken care of because Grace was a big part of their lives. She was David’s Cub Scout leader, Judy’s campfire girls leader and she taught all of them so many values. Together, she and Leonard both taught their kids the value of hard work, of serving others and of serving their country. This showed through in their sons as all three of them are veterans. They were never poor but rich in love. Grace cared deeply for her community and loved the valley. She worked for various people and created good long-standing relationships that lasted throughout her lifetime. One of her favorite jobs besides being a mom was working at Larry’s. She was a member of Valley Oaks Seniors and wouldn’t miss a single bingo game unless she absolutely had to. Grace and Leonard also helped raise their two granddaughters, Samantha and Randi and admitted they kept them young. Grace loved her many grandkids (blood and surrogate) and every summer us grandkids would spend fondly remembered time riding the lawnmower, tilling grandmas garden, going to the fair, playing the ever so lucrative game of Bingo and listening to her tell us to knock off the BS. Grace is preceded in death by her husband Leonard; her parents, William and Clarice Junge; her sisters Luella Killoren, Elsie Hagler, Donna Farnsworth and Dorothy Heinbaugh. She is survived by her four children, Danny Liggett (Nancy), Jerry Liggett (Vilma), Judy Crook and David Liggett (ZoeAnn). Also surviving are Graces brother, William Junge (Bea) and Esther Wildish and numerous nieces and nephews. Grace also has many grandchildren and great grandchildren living: Joyce Bareno (Isaac) and two sons Azariah, Isaac Jr.; Jeff Liggett (Sabrina) and children Braxton and Kyra; Samantha Hollinger (Brian) and boys Darian and Callan; Randi Deala (Zeke) and children Tucker and Grace, Brandon Liggett (Shelly) and girls Julie, Megan, Rachel, Amelia; Josh Liggett (Tabitha) and girls Adalyn and Lucy. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, June 13th at 11am with a remembrance celebration/potluck to follow at Etna City Park. Please bring chairs as there will be limited seating.

Grace LaVonne Liggett

August 14, 1930 - May 27, 2020