Lorna Anderson Larsen

Lorna Anderson Larsen passed away on Monday, May 8, 2017 from Leukemia.

She was born on February 5, 1930 in Orem, Utah to Oscar and Eliza Bronson Anderson, the youngest of six children: Herald, Paul, Flora, LaVerl, and Fawn.

The Anderson family worked and lived on their Orem farm, growing fruit, general crops, and raising farm animals. Lorna loved the farm life---caring for and playing with animals and riding her horse in the Timpanogos foothills.

She was grateful to her parents for instilling in her a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A powerful priesthood blessing saved her life from pneumonia when she was eighteen months old.

She also considered it a blessing that her parents taught her to work hard, whether it was picking fruit, or teaching dance for Orem City in her teens.

An outstanding student at Lincoln High, she held many leadership positions and was voted Ideal Girl.

In 1947, Lorna was named Orem Centennial Queen, and she was a finalist for Miss Utah the same year. The dress she wore on the Orem float became her wedding dress and is now in the Orem Museum.

She met her high school sweetheart, Paul Larsen, at a Halloween party at her house. They were married on September 10, 1948 (later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple). Halloween continued to be a special day for Lorna. She dressed as Scarlet O’Hara for trick or treaters.

From their first home in Logan, Lorna supported Paul in completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at USU and Kansas State University in Manhattan, where their first child, Nanette, was born.

The Korean War took the new family to Virginia, South Carolina, and Alaska when Paul was in the Army.

In 1953, the family moved to East Lansing, Michigan, where Paul received his doctorate degree from Michigan State University and was on the MSU faculty for 14 years. While there, they were blessed with three more children, Peggy, Mark and Cindy.

As children do, they wanted to earn money. Since Lorna made bread—the bread making business was the project chosen. For several years, the children made twelve loaves of bread on Saturdays, selling them for fifty cents a loaf to happy neighbors. A horse that Nanette named Dough was purchased with the money.

Lorna had her own dance studio in their basement in Michigan—teaching many students the joy of dancing and performing.

In 1968, the family moved to Wenatchee, Washington (the Apple Capital) where Paul headed the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research Center. Lorna and Paul hosted guests from all over the world who came to Wenatchee to learn modern apple growing and marketing.

Because they lived in orchard areas, there was space for horses that the family enjoyed riding in the foothills and orchards.

In 1982, the Larsen’s moved back to Logan where Paul was a USU vice president for 10 years until his retirement.

Their new home in Logan was near the higher canal that Lorna frequently floated on summer days along with family and friends.

She loved teaching her grandchildren how to make cookies. They would crack the eggs on the open lid of the dishwasher and pour them into the mixer, thus preventing much clean up. She also gave home made chocolates to the expanding family at Christmas.

She always liked visiting the USU Extension and teaching staff across the state, as her husband, Paul, was there on University business. She hosted many luncheons and receptions when they came to campus.

But most of all she was very active in other university and church affairs.

Paul and Lorna also traveled the globe extensively, first on professional assignments. After retirement, they spend years as volunteers teaching modern apple production in the small countries of Armenia, Macedonia and Lebanon. Lorna was mostly at his side in the orchards, taking notes and typing them.

Later, travel was for pleasure.

Lorna held many callings for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints through the years, including Primary president, Young Women president, dance director, early-morning seminary teacher and adviser to Lambda Delta Sigma sorority (LDS) at Utah State University. In 1987, she was named Lambda Delta Sigma Elect Lady, not only for the six years of service she had given to the sorority, but for her devotion, love and support to her husband and children.

Lorna always believed in sound living including daily exercise and proper nutrition. Until recently, she did the splits every day. Then her health declined from acute Myeloid Leukemia. But as she had done throughout her life, she took a positive view of what was ahead. Namely, that she was about to enter another phase of her mortal and eternal life.

When her illness became known, Lorna and her entire family were amazed at the outpouring of love to her from family, neighbors, ward members, USU Extension personal, women of her service clubs (AC Woman’s, Clio and Clerisy) and other friends from across the country and beyond.

Our family has no way of giving thanks except to thank our Heavenly Father for you all.

She is survived by her loving husband, Paul, of 68 years, her children, Nanette (Jack) Dunford, Peggy (Mark) Rinehart, Mark (Connie) Larsen, Cindy (Keith) Bennett, 14 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and one sister Fawn Needham. She was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Kelly, as well as her parents, 3 brothers, a sister and other expanded family.

A viewing will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 East Center Street, Logan, Utah and from 9:30-10:30 prior to the funeral service at the church.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 17 at the Lundstrom Park 3rd Ward, 1260 North 1600 East, Logan. Condolences and memories may be shared online at www.allenmortuaries.net