A celebration of the life of Lavonn Meier McKnight, 80, Enid, will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Enid with Reverend Randy Mitchell officiating Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Enid. Services are under the direction of Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home of Enid.
Lavonn was born December 27, 1935 to Troy and Lorene Stewart and passed away November 5, 2016 in Enid. Lavonn was raised on a farm near Omega, Oklahoma with her sister, Joy, and two brothers, Troy (“Cap”) and Ronnie. She graduated from Omega High School in 1954 and subsequently from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. In 1955 she married John Ted Meier and they had a son, Mike. The family lived in Alamogordo, New Mexico and in Woodward before settling in Alva where John Ted was a professor at Northwestern. John Ted passed away in 1972 when Mike was only 16 years old. Lavonn went to work for Alva Public Schools to support herself and her son, moving later to Enid as a psychometrist for the Regional Education Service Center. In 1970 she was hired as the principal at Garber Elementary School and subsequently became principal of Chisholm Elementary School in 1981 and then the principal of the combined Chisholm Elementary and Chisholm Junior High Schools, a position she held until her retirement in 1991.
Lavonn married Richard McKnight in 1984 and they traveled the world together. When she was in Enid, Lavonn was volunteering for many organizations as well as privately helping many others. She was a driving force behind and the first director of Enid Lights Up The Plains for Main Street Enid, served on the Board of Directors of RSVP for many years and as its president multiple terms, and served on the board of The Child Advocacy Council where as chair of its fundraising committee she was instrumental in establishing its annual fundraising luncheon. She was a past trustee of the Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church, a former vice president of Chautauqua, and past president of the Hoe and Grow Garden Club. She was a past board member of Garfield County Community Development Association, and a volunteer for the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center. Lavonn was a tireless volunteer for the First United Methodist Church in Enid where she and Dick worshipped. She has served as a communion steward, organizer of bereavement meals, Sanctuary Guild member, chair of the Christmas Decorations Committee, and a Stephen’s Minister.
At the time of her passing she was a board member of the United Way where she served on the Pillar’s Committee, a member of the First United Methodist Church Council, a member of and past president of United Methodist Women of First Church Enid, and a member of P.E.O. Chapter DO where she was a past president and currently served as treasurer. In 1995 Lavonn was named Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s Main Street Board Member of the Year. In 1997 she was named Enid YWCA’s Woman of the Year and was also a recipient of Channel 5’s “Five Who Care” volunteer awards. In 2011 Lavonn was a finalist for the Pillar of the Plains Award in Enid. Lavonn was an avid OKC Thunder fan and followed OU’s football and basketball teams. She never missed one of her grandsons’ athletic games in high school or college. Lavonn was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Cap.
She is survived by her husband, Dick, of the home; her son Mike Meier along with his wife, Joy of Alva; her grandson Tyler and Erin Meier along with their twin babies, Vonn Lynn and Sloan Greta of Edmond; her grandson Trevor and Kenzi Meier and their children, Tinley Grace and Kellan John of Mustang; her stepdaughter Meg and husband Chip Potter and their children Grant, Claire and Grace of Naperville, Illinois; her stepson Doug McKnight of Greensboro, North Carolina; her sister Joy and husband Aaron Clovis of Yukon; her brother Ronnie and wife Mary Sue Stewart of Watonga; her sister in law Mary McKnight Williams of Wichita, Kansas, her sister in law Rosemary Winters of Loyal, and numerous nieces and nephews along with many friends. Memorials may be made to The First United Methodist Church of Enid, RSVP or United Way.
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