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 Anna Neoma
Larson, a loving mother, wife, grandparent and friend, passed
away on April 18, 2006. She lived in Bluefield, West Virginia
for 30 years after moving here from California where she had
lived for nearly 40 years. She was born to Danish immigrants,
Oluf and
Christina Sorenson, who homesteaded in the plains of
South
Dakota. After the untimely death of her father, two year old
Anna and her mother moved to Hurley, South Dakota, where Anna
later graduated from Hurley Consolidated High School. At
nineteen, Anna left South Dakota by train for Sacramento,
California, where she attended Heald's Business College. In
1939, she married Richard Wesley Nielson, an electrical
engineer, also from South Dakota. They had one child, Ruth Anna
Goodson. Ruth and her husband, Jerry, reside in Bluefield, West
Virginia.
Anna is also
survived by two grandchildren, Jennifer Anna Goodson, of
Seattle, Washington and Heidi Christine Goodson, of Roanoke,
Virginia. Anna was preceded in death, not only by her parents,
her step father, Hans Olesen, and her half brother, Ruel Olesen,
but also by her first husband of 28 years, Richard W. Nielson,
and by her second husband of 7 years, John I. Larson, a
mechanical engineer from Minnesota. His children are Lucille
Jess of Minnesota, Lois Ramsdell of Wisconsin, and Carole
Simpson of Arkansas. She was also a loving aunt to her nephews
and nieces: Susan Kadinger, Cindy Newman and Dennis Olesen of
South Dakota, Jerry Olesen of Colorado, and David and Evelina
Brown of California.
Wherever she
lived, she was very active in her local church, serving as
president of the Women of the Church at St. John's Lutheran
Church in Sacramento, of Trinity Lutheran Church in Santa
Barbara and of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bluefield. When her
husband, Richard Nielson, was transferred from McClellan to
Vandenberg Air Force Base, they lived in a little Danish town in
California, Solvang, and attended Bethania Lutheran Church.
There she taught Sunday School, co-led the youth ministry and
sang in the church choir. She has been a member of Westminster
Presbyterian Church in Bluefield for many years where she sang
in Silver Chimes and the Chancel Choir and participated in the
Women's Ministry.
She was employed
by the University of California, at Santa Barbara in the Dean of
Students Office during the tumultuous 60' s and at J.C.
Penney's at Mercer Mall until her retirement.
Anna was a
strong and resilient woman of faith, with a great sense of humor and
love for her family and friends.
A celebration of her life in Christ
will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Howard Finkel officiating, on April 21, 5 pm. Honorary pall bearers will be
Donald Goodson, Jeffrey Goodson, Lucky Goforth, Steve Ferris, Doug
Bourne, Larry Mutter, Graydon Spivey, and David Blankenship. Friends
may visit with the family from 3-5 pm, in Patterson Chapel, at
Westminster Presbyterian Church. The graveside service will be held
on Friday April 28, 2006 at 11:00 A.M. at Oak Hill Cemetery
in Ballard, California, with the Rev. Jarmo Tarkki officiating. In
lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Teen
Challenge, P.O. Box 980, Athens, WV 24712 or Bluefield Union
Mission, 2203 Bluefield Ave., Bluefield, WV 24701.
Those wishing to
share memories or condolence messages may do so by visiting
www.mercerfuneralhome.com
Mercer Funeral Home and
Crematory of Bluefield, is serving the Larson family.
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