Lavona Wreath Mason nee Buddrius was born to George and Wilma Buddrius on February 21, 1950 in Walla Walla, Washington. She grew up in Albuquerque, NM with her siblings, Lorelei, Deborah, Brenda, and Paul. She enjoyed riding horses and spending time in the Sandia Mountains. She attended the University of New Mexico, where she acquired her Bachelor's degree in English and met her husband, James Mason, Jr. They had two children, James and Marilyn. The family moved around, living in Albuquerque, NM, Midland, TX, Ponca City, OK, Oklahoma City, OK, Artesia, NM, and back In Midland, TX before finally settling in Aiken, SC.

Lavona loved animals and worked as a docent at the Oklahoma City Zoo, gaining experience bringing animals and children together. In Aiken, she continued this passion, doing volunteer educational talks to classrooms from preschool to middle school. She raised orphaned gray squirrels, flying squirrels, opossums, and the occasional little brown bat. She was also a bibliophile, passing her love of books and reading to her children. She became a grandmother on May 29, 2013 with the birth of James' daughter, Elora. Lavona passed away in her sleep on February 14, 2022. She was a beloved sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who will be deeply missed.