LEOLA VALERA HAWES RIVERS, age 92, of Luverne, died Sunday, November 21, 2010, at the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Home in Luverne Leola was born November 4, 1918, at Larchwood, IA, to Ed Grimm and Grace (Lape) Grimm. Her family moved to a farm near Beaver Creek, MN, where she attended grade school. She married Lawrence Hawes on November 25, 1935. They lived on and farmed land west of Hardwick, MN., all their lives. They wintered in Los Fresnos, TX, from 1974 until Lawrence?s death in 1977. Leola continued her winters in Texas until 1980. Leola married Carl Rivers in 1978. They moved to Sioux Falls, SD, in 1980. Carl passed away in 1985. Leola moved to The Oaks in Luverne in 2007 Leola had a love for music and played exclusively ?by ear?. She played accordion at many Saturday night dances with her father who had a small dance band. She also played piano and sang duets with her sister, Beulah, at church events Leola was an avid bowler - starting in Hardwick, MN, in 1952. She also bowled Senior Leagues in Texas and in Sioux Falls. Highlights of her bowling career were the ?high game? of 266 that she bowled at Sport Bowl in Sioux Falls, and her trip to the National Bowling Tournament in Lansing, Michigan. In 2002 she was awarded the Female Inspirational Award by the Sioux Falls Parks Dept. for her achievement in recording new age division records in singles and doubles bowled during the 2001 Sioux Falls Regional Senior Games. Leola loved to travel. She took many bus trips near and far. Her trip to Alaska was her favorite. Although she was deathly afraid of water she loved the boat trip and the helicopter ride over Mt. McKinley. Her trips to Washington, DC, Disney World, Florida, and Hawaii also made many good memories. Leola is survived by children Lorna (Ralph) Watts, Luverne, MN; Larry (Mary) Hawes, Beaver Creek, MN; Beverly (David) Skyberg, Detroit Lakes, MN; son-in-law, Lowell Knudsen, Stillwater, MN; a stepson Jon (Edie) Rivers, Marion, IL ; 14 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and 10 great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, daughter Donna Knudsen, and son Randall Hawes, son-in-law Sylvan Hagen; brother Lowell Grimm; sister Beulah Grage; stepson Gary Rivers; a grandson, a great granddaughter and a great great grandson.