In Honor of Doreen Larson

Kathryn Turley, Lesa Wells and Doreen Larson

For those who were not able to attend the funeral for Doreen Larson, I wanted to share this darling photo of our very own "Cancer Ladies," taken while she was at the hospital. Its been a tough year in our ward with health concerns, but we are blessed to have such incredible people amongst us as examples of strength in adversity and as examples of serving others with love.

The funeral was a great way to learn more about Doreen and what a great woman she was. One of my favorite stories was told when Doreen was interviewing for a scholarship at the University of Washington. After a great interview, Doreen was told she was most likely to receive the scholarship, they just had one more applicant to interview. Doreen walked out to the foyer and met the next applicant, who she found was a young married father. After having a discussion with him, she walked back into the interviewer and withdrew her application, saying that the other applicant needed the money more than she did. It was also evident that Doreen was a faithful disciple of the gospel. We have all been strengthened by her testimony and have been blessed by her happy, cheerful spirit. She will be missed.

Here is a copy of her obituary for those who haven't had a chance to read it.

DOREEN LARSON

Doreen Larson Larson 1934 ~ 2011 Doreen Larson Larson passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Thursday, April 28 after a short bout with cancer. She was born December 6, 1934 in Blackfoot, Idaho to Stanley and LaVaun Larson. She served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Central States Mission where she met her future husband Floyd Leon Larson. She earned a degree in marketing and accounting from the University of Washington. They married in the Salt Lake Temple August 18, 1960. Her focus in life was caring for her family. She later served a humanitarian mission to Kathmandu, Nepal with her husband. She also loved working in the temple. Doreen will be remembered for her strong work ethic, her faith, and her commitment to her friends and family. She loved playing games and was extremely competitive. The goal of all her children and grandchildren was to beat her. She also loved travel and had a full travel schedule planned this summer. She was disappointed when she realized she would be unable to go. Doreen also loved plays and frequently attended the Shakespearian Festival as well as the Hale Center Theater. She was preceded in death by her loving husband. Doreen is survived by her seven children: Kendra (Jeff), Blake (Melissa), Craig (Jennifer), Valerie (Jess-deceased), Mark (Liz), Kerstin (Dave), and Scott (Cara), 24 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Monday, May 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm at the LDS chapel located at 2115 E. Creek Road, Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Friends and family may call Sunday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the church and Monday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. prior to the services. The family has created a blog at http://doreenlarson.blogspot.com for family and friends to leave memories of Doreen. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Perpetual Education Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150.

Published in Deseret News from April 30 to May 1, 2011

Relief Society Birthday Celebration By Nicole Fisher

We’d like to thank the Stake Relief Society Presidency and all the committee members who put together a fantastic evening to celebrate the Relief Society Birthday. The cultural hall was decorated in bright, springtime colors, with an assortment of beautiful Birthday Cakes as the centerpieces. Dinner was served buffet style by the “Green Apron Brigade,” members of the Stake Presidency and High Council, who saw to it that every water glass was full, dishes were cleared and cleaned, and later saw to the disassembling of the tables and chairs. The main course was a delicious Asian Chicken Salad from the Pioneer Woman Cookbook and a variety of breads. There was even a gluten-free salad option. Every thought was put into preparation.
The evenings entertainment was provided by Mercy River, a talented trio of women, each young mothers and wives, who sang and shared stories of inspiration. We were invited to particpate in a “Spiritual Spa,” where we were asked to relax, take a deep breath and de-stress by sharing a sincere compliment with our neighbors at our tables. Then we received our first treatment, a “spiritual massage,” new since the Book of Mormon times, where individuals were always complaining of being “stiff necked.” The way to avoid this ailment is to focus on the joys of the moment, instead of looking too far into the future. President Monson has said that we have “ . . . one and only chance at mortal life, here and now . . . find joy in the journey now.” Mercy River sang a song about sunshine, “let my eyes see all the beauty, bring in the sunshine.”
Our next treatment was a trim. They shared a humorous, Seussical poem about a women who was perfect in every way, “ . . . easy she said and then she dropped dead.” How do we choose what is most important to focus on? They shared the story of Mary and Martha. “Mary hath chosen the good part” by recognizing that learning the gospel from Christ was most needful, but they also focused on the fact that Jesus also loved Martha. Its okay to be a Martha, but sometimes its okay to forgo the good for the better or best, that being in strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ.
Our next treatment was a manicure. One frustration in being a woman is that so much of what we do doesn’t stay done. It was suggested that we “do the things that stick.” Referring back to Mary and Martha, the scriptures tell us “ . . . that the good part shall not be taken from her.” We need to slow down and remember to do the important things, like read scriptures and learn of Christ.
The manicure was followed by a facial. Often times, a skin peel gets worse for a couple of days before it looks good. Life can be like that. We need to trust in God, even if our prayers are not answered in the way that we’d hoped. We will face difficulties, but we don’t have to do it alone. The Atonement helps us when we need strength, comfort or peace. A few of my favorite quotes from the evening where, “The Savior knows how to suffer his people. His mercy is like a river flowing to everyone, everywhere:” and “The gospel is not insurance against pain, it’s a resource in the event of pain.”
Our final treatment was a wax, as in “waxing stronger in humility” (Hel. 3:35). It takes time to become the person we are supposed to become. The Savior doesn’t love us because we are perfect, but because He’s perfect.
Margaret Strong, our Stake Relief Society President, asked each of us to read Doctrine and Covenants, Section 25 and put ourselves in the scriptures. She then asked us to reread our patriarchal blessings, “letting the Lord’s love wash over you and remind you that you are a precious daughter of God who loves you.” It was a wonderful evening and I know that we were spiritually edified by attending.

Our thoughts and prayers

For those who may not know, Lesa Wells will be undergoing surgery on a brain tumor this Thursday, March 17. She will be in the hospital for several days after the surgery. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

I know that we all love Lesa and would like to help her. One thing that she would love, while she's recovering, is that each of us look for little ways to take care of the sisters in our ward. Whether through our visiting teaching or reaching out to a neighbor, I know she'll have peace of mind knowing that we are looking out for and serving one another.

While Lesa is going through all of this, please contact other members of the Presidency, Shelley Turner, Jody Done, Nicole Fisher or Brigitte Pace, for any matters pertaining to Relief Society. We would be happy to help you. We don't want Lesa to have any worries or concerns about the ward and we'd be happy to help any way that we can. Let's help Lesa get the rest she needs!

We are so blessed to live in such an incredible ward. Know that we love each of you.

We'd like to let the sisters know that there will be a "Basket of Love" on Lesa Wells' front porch if you'd like to drop of notes and well wishes. We encourage this rather than calls so that she may get her rest after surgery. Thank you.

Cooking Tips from Betsy's Basics: Potatoes & Rice

1. Mash potatoes while hot. If cooled before mashing they will become gummy.
2. If potatoes are boiled about 5 min., then put into a hot oven to bake. Tehy will be thoroughly done in about half the time.
3. Cook rice in broth instead of plain water.
4. Add vinaigrette-type salad dressing to potatoes for potato salad while they're still hot--they will absorb more of the dressing.