Francoise Raymonde Halverson

Françoise Raymonde (Renou) Halverson was born August 31, 1942, in Le Mans, France, the daughter of Roger and Raymonde Renou. She was the eldest of four children with two brothers, Jean-Claude and Patrick, and one sister, Elisabeth. She passed away on Saturday, June 8, 2025, at age 82 after multiple health issues that ultimately led to her heart failure. She passed away peacefully in her sleep at Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

At the age of 14, upon the insistence of her grandfather’s sister, Marie-Louise Renou, Françoise was put on the ship Le Liberté to sail to New York in the United States to live with and care for her aunt. Her only contact with France after reaching the U.S. was with her sister, Elisabeth. They loved each other very much and talked often on the telephone, as recently as the day before her passing.

Françoise obtained her United States citizenship on May 1, 1962. After graduating high school, she married LaVern Halverson and they moved to Norwalk, Iowa where she stayed home to care for their children. They had four children: Caprice, Phil, Therese, and Erick. After the passing of her husband, Françoise taught French at Dowling High School in Des Moines and later at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Iowa before retiring.

Preceding Françoise in death are her parents, Roger and Raymonde Renou; brothers, Jean Claude and Patrick Renou; husband, LaVern Halverson; daughters, Caprice and Therese Halverson; sons, Philip and Erick Halverson; and grandson, David Halverson.

Françoise was sent to the United States at the age of 14 and forced to leave her family behind. Over the past eight years, she lost all four of her children and her grandson. Her eldest daughter, Caprice, passed away on January 29, 2025, just a few months before Françoise’s passing. Despite the extreme amount of loss and grief she faced in her lifetime, she remained steadfast in her faith, always keeping God at the center of her life.

Françoise loved cooking, gardening, birdwatching, attending Bible studies and spending time with family and friends. She lived at Good Life Retirement Community in Norwalk, Iowa, for the past 15 years. She was known by all her neighbors for her beautiful flower gardens and the delicious food she prepared and shared with many of them. She enjoyed sitting on her patio and just waiting for neighbors to stop by and visit. She was a person who rarely said a bad word about anyone. She had a gentle, kind, and beautiful heart and was always concerned about others before herself. Once yet met her, you could not help but love her.

Remaining to cherish Françoise’s memory are her sister, Elisabeth Lecuyer; great granddaughter, Gabrielle Halverson; former daughter-in-law, Vicky (Ken) Reynolds; grandchildren, Nolan and Monica Halverson; great grandsons, Skyler, Kalob, Izayah, and Giovanni Silvius; and her very close friend and surrogate daughter, Adrianna Bell.

In honor of her final wishes, there will be no funeral service.  Her remains will be placed with her four children and grandson at Sunset Memorial Cemetery on Fleur Drive in Des Moines, IA.

Memorial donations in Françoise’s memory may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. She was a long-time donor and very passionate about helping children with cancer.