Elsie Larsen

Elsie Gladys Larsen passed away of natural causes At Bethany Home on December 13, 2010.  She was born in Chicago, IL on June 30, 1918 to Charles and Minnie (Bacher) Buser.  She lived in Chicago with her parents.  The death of her father caused Elsie and her mother to join relatives in Ottawa, IL in 1928.  They lived on the Schmidt farm with her aunt Rose, her cousin Paul and his wife Lucy Schmidt.  She graduated from Ottawa High School in 1936 and attended Illinois State (Normal) University receiving her Bachelors Degree in Physical Education in 1940.  She completed her Masters degree at Northwestern University in 1946.  Her dissertation was on how to teach swimming to those who are afraid of the water. 

She taught at Emerson and Longfellow schools in Oak Park and at Argo Community High School, where she met her husband, Everett Christian Larsen.  They wed in 1949 and made their home in Bedford Park. Elsie returned to substitute teaching once their children, James and Lynn were in school.  She worked for the Bedford Park Library later in life enjoying the social aspects of being among residents of the community.  One of her favorite memories was of the human chain that the community formed to pass the books hand to hand for two blocks from the old library to the new one.

She was active in the Women's Club, PTA and served on the Library Board in Bedford Park.  She volunteered at the Well Baby clinic in great part to coo at the children.  She played bridge with friends and continued to play tennis into her 70's.  She loved swimming and skipping rope, especially double dutch.  She was an accomplished and daring cook, searching for new recipes and trying new foods.  She kept her in touch with her high school friends and her college friends until the last year of her life by writing round robin letters back and forth.  She took advantage of the classes offered through the Bedford Park Community Center making many ceramic items.

She is preceded in death by her parents Charles and Minnie and her husband Everett.  She is survived by her son, James (Chicago); her daughter Lynn (Richard Geurts) Gonzales, LA, her grandsons David, San Francisco CA  and Jay (Dana) and great grandson Finnegan Jacob Larsen all of Duvall WA, and many cousins and friends.