FERN ELIZABETH LARSON obituary

On July 4 , 2 0 0 9 , Fer n Elizabeth Larson, a devoted wife and loving mother, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer at the Billings Clinic surrounded by her family.

On the scorching harvest day of Aug. 15, 1948, a baby girl was born to Raymond and Elnora Vogel in Havre, Mont. Fern, a spitfire of a little girl, grew up on a farm northeast of Kremlin and graduated high school as a Kremlin Fox in 1966. She traveled to Billings Business College, earning a bookkeeping degree in 1967. After a summer of keeping books for Cenex Oil Station, she realized there was more for her to accomplish. She then attended Northern Montana College, graduating with an elementary education degree in 1971. Her senior year of high school, she ran into a man named Roger Larson at a college dance and that same evening she informed a friend that he was the man she was going to marry. They were married Aug. 2, 1969, making their 40th anniversary weeks away. Upon finishing college, she taught for a year as the reading ins t ructor at Rocky Boy Elementary. Then, she moved to Joplin to be a kindergarten and first-grade teacher for two years. Her final move was back home to Kremlin where she taught kindergarten until her retirement after 30 years. Her love for teaching was rewarded by many smiles and hugs from her students. In addition to teaching, she also worked on the family farm cooking, driving truck and tractor and doing countless other jobs In 1975, Fern was teaching and Roger started farming with her father. They decided to start their family on the same farm where she was raised; first with a girl, Christine, followed in 1981 by another girl, Carrie, lastly, in 1983 a boy, Roger Jr. She stood steadfast in her faith her entire life, even making every effort to attend church during treatment for her illness. She enjoyed her family, quilting, gardening, shopping, puzzles, grandchildren, stock club and being a part of the Northern alumni board. Fern is survived by her husband, Roger; her children, Christine (Shad) Huston of Havre, Carrie (Destry) Berst of Laurel, Roger (Stephanie) Larson Jr. Of Havre; her father, Raymond Vogel at Big Sandy Medical Center; her brother, Randy Vogel, of Townsend; two sisters-in-law; three grandchildren; four nieces; and four nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, Elnora Vogel; her stepmother, Freda Vogel; brother-in-law, Robert Pare; and sister-in-law, Elaine Vogel. Memorial services will be held Saturday, July 11, 2009, at 11 a.m. at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Havre. Donations can be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church or a cancer charity of your choice.