Kathryn Turley, Lesa Wells and Doreen LarsonFor 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
