Mary Blanche Larson, 88
Mary “Blanche” Larson, 88, passed away on Saturday, April 26, 2008, at Life Care in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Blanche was born July 12, 1919, in Sydney, Neb., to Flora Evans Wolfe and Stanley L. Wolfe. She had an older sister, Josephine, and a younger brother, Jim. In 1929, the family left Nebraska to settle in St. Maries, Idaho. They left there six months later as her mother stated, “she was not going to live on any old side hill.”
The family then moved to Sagle where her father bought 17 acres of land on Fry Creek for less than $1,500. She attended grammar school at Algoma in Sagle and high school at the old junior high school on Pine and Euclid in Sandpoint, graduating in 1938.
Shortly thereafter, she met the love of her life at a local grange dance, Gunnar (Connie) Berton Larson. They were married in August 1940 and started their family. They four sons, Art born in 1941, Clyde in 1942, Leonard in 1948, and Pete in 1952. They lived all their married life in the Sagle area.
She was always proud of the fact that she belonged to the order of the Eastern Star and had worked herself up to be Worthy Matron.
In the spring of 1967, Connie, Blanche and her youngest son, Pete, moved to Lewiston, Idaho, where she went to work as a seamstress at J.C. Penny’s for 19 years. Connie and Blanche separated in September 1967 and divorced in spring 1968.
In 1987, Blanche and Pete moved to Bothell, Wash., where she worked at various jobs until she retired. Throughout the years she always had a small dog with her constantly, as they were her closest friends.
In April 2005, she moved in with her oldest son Art and his wife Gladys to Naples, Idaho, as her health would no longer allow her to live in her home. While with them, they introduced her to the Cocolalla Cowboy Church, and she dearly loved their music and Pastor Steve Bradshaw’s sermons.
She lived with them at Naples for one year before transferring to Life Care Center in Sandpoint. Her hobbies were reading, sewing, crocheting, and she loved her family completely.
She is survived by her brother James Wolfe of Sagle; her four sons, Art (Gladys) of Naples, Clyde of Lynnwood, Wash., Leonard of Lake Stevens, Wash., and Peter of Bothell, Wash; seven grandchildren, four step frandchildren, numerous great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Her parents, Flora and Stanley, and her oldest sister, Josephine, preceded her in death.
Memorial services will be conducted at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Coffelt Funeral Chapel, with Pastor Steve Bradshaw, officiating.
Family and friends are invited to sign Mary’s online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.