Louise H. Larsen

Louise Larsen, 81, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 29, 2017, at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, WA. Louise was born on September 7, 1935, in Rupert, ID, the youngest of eight children of Arthur and Hazel (Gunter) Coffman. Raised on a farm, Louise attended all her years of schooling in Rupert, graduating from Minidoka High School in the top 10 of her class. Soon after, Louise married William Larsen on May 25, 1953. Bill and Louise celebrated 51 years of marriage, before his untimely passing in 2004. During the early years of their marriage, Bill and Louise lived briefly in Los Angeles, CA, where Bill worked for the Lockheed Corporation. But they missed rural living, and returned to Idaho in 1958, where Bill worked as a Power Plant Operator for the Bureau of Reclamation at Palisades Dam. They also enjoyed six years at Flaming Gorge Dam in Dutch John, UT. While in Dutch John, Louise served as the Justice of the Peace for Daggett County, where she performed marriages and 'kept the peace'. Otherwise, Louise was content to stay at home raising their three children. Bill and Louise moved briefly to The Dalles, OR, where Bill went to work for the Corps of Engineers. After four years, the family settled in Orofino, ID, where they would live out the remainder of Bill's employment with the Corps. While living in Orofino, Louise went to work for Orofino School District #171 as a teacher's assistant in the Special Education program, where she retired after 20 years. Also while living in Orofino, Louise put her outstanding skills as a seamstress to work, winning sewing awards at the county fair for clothes she had sewn and quilts she made. One year, Louise sewed band uniforms for the entire Orofino High School band. Bill and Louise also ran the Orofino Gun Club, and Louise spent many years traveling around the Pacific Northwest to trapshooting competitions with her husband. She was an excellent shot, once beating a Utah State Game Warden in a shoot-off at a local shooting competition. After retirement, Bill and Louise enjoyed many winters living in Wellton, AZ, making new friends, playing cards and golfing. Louise was an exceptional bridge player, and won many card tournaments. Bill also made the mistake of teaching Louise how to play cribbage, and she repeatedly trounced him in cribbage tournaments. Bill and Louise also made many friends over the border from Wellton, in Mexico. After Bill's passing in 2004, Louise moved to Wenatchee to be near family. She soon began volunteering as a classroom aide at Kenroy Elementary. In order to meet people, Louise also began volunteering in the kitchen and helping with bingo at the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center. Louise was a consistent volunteer at the Center, which she dearly loved, until illness forced her to quit at the end of 2016. Louise's favorite Tuesday pastime was working at the center while watching the Mariners play on TV. She was an avid Mariners fan, and was eagerly awaiting the season opener, which she only missed by a few days. Louise is survived by her three children: a son, William (Sandy Turcato) Larsen, of Boise, ID, and two daughters, Shelley (Jason) Su of Corvallis, OR, and Christine (Ken Arnold) Johnson of East Wenatchee, WA; and three grandsons, whom she loved dearly: Nick and Derek Johnson, and Will Larsen. She is also survived by one brother, Arthur Coffman and his family, of Rupert, ID; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Louise was a kind, wonderful mother and grandmother, and her loss has left a huge void in her family. At Louise's request, no services have been planned. The family may hold a small memorial at a later date. Arrangements are by Telford's Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.

Louise H. Larsen

September 7, 1935 - March 29, 2017