Mary Blanche Larson

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, Nebraska to Flora Evans Wolfe and Stanley L. Wolfe. She had a sister older than her (Josephine and a brother (Jim) younger than herself. In 1929 the family left Nebraska to settle in Saint Maries, Idaho. They left there 6 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, 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 of 1940 and started their family and had a total of four sons, 1941-Art, 1942-Clyde, 1948-Leonard, 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 Easter 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 of 1967 and divorced in the Spring of 1968. In 1987 Blanche and Pete moved to Bothell, Washington 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 of 2005 she moved in with her oldest son (Art) and his wife (Gladys) in Naples, Idaho, ash her health would no longer allow her to live in her home. While with them, they introduced her to the Cocolalla Cowboy Church, and 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 Standpoint, Idaho. Her hobbies were reading, sewing, crocheting, and she loved her family completely. Her parents, Flora and Stanley, and her oldest sister, Josephine, precede her in death. She is survived by her brother James Wolfe of Sagle, ID, her four sons: Art (Gladys) of Naples, ID, Clyde of Lynnwood, WA, Leonard of Lake Stevens, WA, Peter of Bothell, WA; 7 grandchildren, 4 step Grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.