LaVern ‘Hefty’ Mayer

LaVern “Lefty” Henry Mayer, 97, Oconto Falls, died Thursday morning, Oct. 24, 2024, surrounded by family. He was born Nov. 15, 1926, in the Town of Advance to Herman and Nora (Werner) Mayer. He grew up in Morgan and attended South Morgan School and graduated from Oconto Falls High School with the class of 1944. Following graduation, he worked in the family owned cheese factory with his father and also helped farmers. In 1946, he went to Florida to a baseball school and also worked in an orange and grapefruit factory. He played pro baseball in Frostproff Deland, Palatka and Lakeland from 1947-50. On Oct. 14, 1950, he married Marilyn Delzer, and they lived in Oconto Falls. Lefty worked as a cheesemaker at the Morgan Co-op. He played semi-pro baseball for the Marinette Marines and also on Sundays for a Green Valley team. In 1953, he went back to play pro baseball. He played in St. Petersburg, Florida, Charleston, South Carolina, and Raleigh, North Carolina. While at Charleston, he played against Hank Aaron when he was with Jacksonville. He broke his leg while playing for Raleigh, and that was the end of his pro career. In 1959, he and his wife bought Sankey Dairy in Oconto Falls and bottled milk and made home deliveries in Oconto Falls and surrounding communities. Bottling was done until 1968, and he then became a distributor for Morning Dairy until 1989 and continued to work for his son-in-law delivering until 1996. He worked at a convenience store and gas station until December 2017. Lefty coached Babe Ruth baseball teams from 1963-76, and in 1966, he helped start the Legion Baseball team and coached it until 1981. In 1975, he was elected to be the North Team coach for the Wisconsin American Legion All Stars held in County Stadium in Milwaukee. Lefty was on the board of director of the Blue Ribbons Baseball team in Green Bay from 1981-83. In September 2009, Lefty was elected into the Wall of Fame at Oconto Falls High School. He was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where he held various positions on the church council from 1957 to 2006, including being president for a number of years. He served on the church building committee from 1975 to 1977. He is survived by his wife of 74 years; three sons and one daughter, Leland (Anna) Mayer, Eau Claire, Lawrence (Anne Wallis) Mayer, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, James (Mary Jo) Mayer, Oconomowoc, and Debra (Allan) Konitzer, Oconto Falls; grandchildren, Kari (Jason) Fleming, Burke, Virginia, Marc (Jenna) Mayer, Eau Claire, Cory Mayer, Marquette, Michigan, Lutetia (Skye) Wallis/Mayer Smith, Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, Tristan Wallis/Mayer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Imogen Wallis/Mayer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Emily (Conner) McCarthy, Benjamin Mayer, and Megan Mayer, all of Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Abigail (Mike) Montie and Samuel (Liz) Konitzer, both of Oconto Falls; great-grandchildren, Brandon and Samantha Fleming, Burke, Virginia, Calvin and Wesley Mayer, Eau Claire, Georgia and Michael Montie, Oconto Falls, Aurora Smith, Squamish, British Columbia, Rylann McCarthy, Minneapolis, Minnesota; one brother, Charles Mayer, California; one sister, Dolores Winter, Little Suamico; two sisters-in-law, Mae (Byron) Aprill, Pulaski, and Romelle Delzer, Oconto Falls; one brother-in-law, William (Donna) Delzer; many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in law, William and Elsie Delzer; brothers-in-law, Kenneth Delzer, Otis Delzer, Robert Delzer, Eugene Winter; one sister-in-law, Virgene Delzer, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Harold and Helen Black; and one grandson, George William Konitzer. Visitation will be held 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, at Jones Funeral Service in Oconto Falls. Visitation will continue after 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Abrams until the time of services at 4 p.m. Sunday with the Rev. Matthew Stuebs officiating.