Betty Lou Larsen

My Mom, Betty Lou Larsen, was born on April 29, 1926 in Dalton, Georgia. She graduated from high school in Dalton and a few years later, moved west with her young son, David, to work as a cook at her aunt's ranch on the Little Snake River. She met my dad, John H. Larsen, at a dance on the River when he was over from the University of Wyoming on break.

John and Betty married and lived in Laramie while Dad finished his B.A. and M.A. Dad went to work for an oil company and Mom, Dad, and David went on the road to Pueblo, CO; Roswell, NM; Artesia, NM (where I was born at the end of 1952); Oklahoma, and finally, to Casper in 1953. Stephen was born in Casper in May of 1954. In 1965, the family (except David who was married by then) moved to Wichita Fall, TX. In 1966 we moved to Calgary, Alberta. In 1969 we moved to Denver, CO.

Wherever she lived, Mom was quick to make friendships that lasted a lifetime. She played bridge, golfed, bowled, and best of all, she could cook! She cooked for family, for friends, to entertain, to help someone in need, for church functions-for almost any reason there was. Mom also loved to travel with Dad and they did travel all over the world.

She always looked forward to getting back home to her friends. Mom always looked out for her friends. She cared deeply for everyone she met. She worried for everyone who was down.

Mom read and she would collect cookbooks-and would read them like a novel. She liked to garden and she had a running battle with the deer in Saratoga, until she saw that she couldn't win!

Mom loved living in Saratoga. She loved her friends, the peace and quiet, St. Barnabas' Church, and that Dad was always home with her.

She died peacefully on December 21, 2018, to be forever with Dad. Mom was preceded in death by her husband John; her son Stephen; her son David and his wife, Joan; and by her sister Celia.
She is survived by her son Michael, his wife, Kim, and grandchildren Stephanie and Trevor; grandchild Debbie and great-grandchildren Josh and Jeremiah.
~ J. Michael Larsen 2019

To leave a special message for her family, please click on "Share Memories'.