LaVon “Dolly” M. Roll

LaVon “Dolly” Mary Roll, 89, of Mayville, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

A visitation for Dolly will be held on Monday, June 23, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Peter’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Kekoskee. A funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. with Pastor Carter officiating, followed by burial at Kekoskee Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to gather for a fellowship meal and Dolly’s famous schaum torte at The Pub/Atwell’s Pub in Mayville around 5:30 p.m.

Dolly was born on July 21, 1935, the daughter of Max and Alvina (Thieme) Elsinger. She was raised on the family farm in Juneau, WI, where her love for the outdoors and animals was fostered. Dolly helped with chores, cared for farm animals, rode horses, and even raised two baby foxes named Ginger and Snap.

Dolly graduated from Dodgeland High School in Juneau, WI, in 1953, and then from Dodge County Teachers College (DCTC) in Mayville, WI, in 1955. While at DCTC, she played on the state champion girls’ basketball team and was particularly proud of her career-high 33 points. During this time, Dolly also met her future husband, Donald (Don) G. Roll. She began her teaching career in a one-room country schoolhouse and continued to teach as a substitute teacher even while earning her bachelor’s degree from UW-Oshkosh in 1987.

Dolly and Don married at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Kekoskee, WI on December 20, 1958. Soon after, they purchased a farm in Mayville where they lived the rest of their lives. While teaching and raising three children, Don and Dolly spent decades farming beef cattle and cash crops. Dolly was also known as the local friendly Avon Lady. She loved mowing their five-acre lawn and did so until her 89th year. She enjoyed being outdoors amongst her flowers and watching the birds, tending to numerous feeders. She even trained robins to show up every day to eat the grapes she would throw to them.

Countless happy hours were spent on the farm with her children and grandchildren, playing in the pool and gathering around the table for card games or her meals cooked with love. Her other hobbies included playing the accordion and the organ, sewing, quilting and cross-stitching, as well as sharing trivia and clever jokes. She was able to travel with family to many countries, including Germany in 2004 where she visited Ilse Kossack, her pen pal since 1947.

Dolly is survived by her children: Kim (Thomas) Ruffalo of Oconomowoc, Jon Roll of Cross Plains and Keri Hinshaw (Joe Wanie) of Juneau; her grandchildren: Abigail (Tyler) Platz, Katie Ruffalo, Trenton Ruffalo, Emily (Paul) Golen, Samantha (Jackson) Sandala, Jon Henry (Jocelyn) Roll, Kai Hinshaw and Ronan Hinshaw; her sister-in-law Joyce Roll of Mayville; her dear friend Ilse Kossack of Berlin, Germany; and her kitty, Schmutter. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her siblings Donald Elsinger and Barbara Rantala.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the incredibly kind and skilled staff at Hope Health and Rehabilitation in Lomira, WI, for their loving care of Dolly.