Avon "Avie" Stotz, age 82 of Lemmon, passed away on Wednesday morning, February 22, 2017 at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND.

Funeral services will be held at Spencer Memorial Church at 10:30am MST on Tuesday, February 28, 2017. Pastor Florence Hoff will officiate with the committal service to follow at Selby Memorial Gardens at 4:00pm CST.

Visitation will at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon from 1:00 – 7:00 pm with a service for family and friends starting at 7:00pm MST on Monday, February 27, 2017.

Serving as Casketbearers are Tyler Doohen, Eric Knapp, Tad Lewton, Mark Foster, John Lafferty, and Duane Trosin. All of Avie's nieces and nephews are considered Honorary Bearers.

Avie was born on July 7, 1934, in Walworth County, northeast of Akaska, South Dakota. She was the 5th child of 7 born to Alfine and Albertina (Chesky) Johnson. She attended a country grade school and was in Selby for her first year of high school. A new women's dorm was built in Glenham, SD, so she transferred her sophomore year. She quit school in her senior year and spent the next few years working in cafes in Mobridge and Selby.

She married Jerome (Jerry) Stotz on March 8, 1954, at the Church of God parsonage in Mobridge. They began their married life together on a farm southwest of Selby. They were blessed with three children. Jerry and Avie were 2 weeks shy of celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary when Avie went to be with the Lord. In 1990, they moved to Lemmon, SD, where Avie found a temporary job at Wheeler Manufacturing in the mark-up section, a "temp" job that would last 16 years.

Avie had a passion for life, evidenced by her impish smile. Besides her job, she was active in church, extension club, Royal Neighbors of America, Selby JayceeEtte's where she was named JayceeEtte of the Year, Selby Lioness Club, and a member of the UCC Bell Choir. She had many hobbies and interests, including fishing, snowmobiling, sewing, arts & crafts, cooking and baking, as well as being an avid bowler. She and Jerry enjoyed many years of dancing and camping together. Her grandchildren were the light of her life.

She is survived by her husband Jerry, Lemmon; her daughters Sheila (Jerry) Doohen, Dickinson, ND, and Sharon (Dewey) Holder, Bowman, ND; her son Shannon (fiancé Desirae Penn), Java, SD; her grandchildren, Tyler (Kelsey) Doohen, Dawn Doohen and friend Eric Knapp, Stephanie Holder, Stacey Holder, Shantel (Tad) Lewton, Ryan Stotz and Breanna Stotz; one great granddaughter, Avy Doohen; one brother, William "Charley" (Becky) Johnson, Hosmer, SD; one sister, Florence "Sue" Hargan, Sioux Falls, SD; one sister-in-law, Patricia Johnson, Lander, WY, and numerous nieces, nephews, and special friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Myrtle "Myrt", Agnes "Sis" and Verla, and her brother Herbert "Bud", her mother-in-law Pauline Carlson Cole, and several nieces and nephews.