Anna Olivia Larsen

Anna Olivia (Person) Larsen

Anna Olivia (Person) Larsen was born October 18, 1907 at Irene, S. D., to Peter Oscar and Ellen Katrina (Madsen) Person. She entered into eternal rest with her Lord on March 20, 2000 at the Ponderosa Villa in Crawford, Neb.

The Person family lived in S.D., until February 1914 when they moved to the Rawhide Butte area. Anna started school in 1917 when school was first held in that area and stayed with the teacher for her first two years of school. She then walked three miles to another country school.

Being reared on the ranch always provided ample opportunity for chores, which included milking cows, helping with the farming and with the haying. Water was hauled three miles from a spring for use in the family home.

Anna then moved to Lusk where she attended high school and worked to pay for her room and board and other expenses.

On October 30, 1926 Anna was married to Ernest C. E. Larsen at Lusk. The union was blessed with three children; Lily, Leonard, and Linda. The family then lived in various places, including Ernest's parents home near Manville, Wyo., Torrington and Lusk.

In 1930 Anna and Ernest moved to Van Tassel where Anna worked at the Fjordbak General Store and Cafe. In 1938 the family moved to the Steven's place south of Van Tassel, where they were plagued with drought and grasshoppers. They then moved to Manville where they milked cows, farmed and raised a garden.

At the outbreak of World War II, they moved back to Van Tassel where they ran a filling station. Another move in 1943 took them to a place on the Niobrara River.

Tragedy struck the family home on May 17, 1947 when their son Leonard suffocated in a cave where he had been playing and digging. Tragedy again struck on May 8, 1958 when Ernest died.

For the next several years, Anna could be found working in cafes in Lusk, Chadron and Harrison. She retired in Harrison in 1967 where she kept the home fires burning for her daughter Lily. On November 11, 1998, Anna moved to Ponderosa Villa.

Anna was a member of the Memorial United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Women, the Evening Circle, the Harrison Ladies Community Club, the Harrison Community Club, the Harrison Historical Society and the Royal Neighbors of America. Along with her community activities, Anna enjoyed horseback riding, gardening, canning, sewing, playing cards and Monopoly, bowling, reading, embroidering and crocheting.

Anna was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest; one son, Leonard; her parents and one sister, Emma. She leaves to mourn her two daughters; Lillie Larsen of Harrison, Neb.; Linda and husband Ron Gunia of Alliance, Neb.; 6 step-grandchildren; 9 step- great- grandchildren; 3 sisters-in-laws, Elizabeth Fosher of Alliance, Neb., Katrine Mariegard of Torrington, Wyo. and Nellie and husband Dale Kathka of Napa, Calif.; one brother-in-law Bill and his wife Joan Larsen of Douglas, Wyo.; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

A memorial has been established to the Memorial Methodist Church in Harrison and Ponderosa Villa in Crawford. Memorials may be sent to the Security Bank of Harrison.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, March 20 at The Memorial United Methodist Church with Reverend Neil Kloppenborg officiating. Burial was in the Harrison Cemetery. Chamberlain Chapel of Crawford was in charge of arrangements.

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