BY HAILEY MINTON

LaVern Cottrell was born and raised in North Ogden. She has deep connection with history, which stems back to helping her father. After open heart surgery, her father was given 12 more years of life. LaVern and her daughter did all the typing for his contribution to a history book about North Ogden and Pleasant View. Her aunt helped with another book. Today, LaVern owns the original documents that went into those books.

She played a part in creating the North Ogden Historical Museum. “The Mayor Gary Harrop asked five of us to start a museum. I was one of the five.” She started a mini family history center and collected thousands of pictures and many family histories from people living in North Ogden and Pleasant View. Her connections with family who cared about preserving history certainly gave her a jump start on her work.

LaVern was on the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers North Company Board and President of the DUP Cherry Blossom Camp for a time too. There, she traveled to elementary schools as a part of their outreach program to teach children about pioneers. She also volunteered at the Ogden Family History Center for eight years, and she was a merit badge counselor for the genealogy merit badge for the Boy Scouts. This Cherry on Top goes to you, LaVern, for preserving and passing on history, including our own here in North Ogden. Thanks for all you have invested in helping us see where we’ve come from.

Thank you for preserving and passing on history in North Ogden!

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