We are here today to remember and honor the passing of a truly valiant woman, Larsena Day Andersen.

She had all those characteristics we assign to people we love and admire.

Sometimes we just lightly count them off like gumdrops from a child’s candy hoard. Yet these character traits and soul markers are for most of us dearly won. We sometimes must remind ourselves to be all that God expects of us. And sure that as most people do - Larsena had temptations and trials, but the most remarkable thing was that it never showed. She always seemed to rise serenely above the trials and carry on in the face of adversity.

Adversity? Yes, because while she had a good husband standing by her, he could not prevail against the menace of blindness, nor could she. He was a good husband for seventy years with a good wife and together they were always loving and supportive parents.

The loss of her sight prevailed against one of her great joys - which was reading, but shortly after her fortieth year, she took off her glasses never to read again the printed page, but that did not stop her. She learned Braille and read voluminously from the large pale books.

She kept her house while working in the dark - cooked, washed clothes, baked cakes and laughed. She canned fruit, teaching me how to do it as well. She knew not only how to do these things, but why and explained it to me.

When I was very small, she began to teach me about God and the importance of a Christian life. I was full of questions, all of which she answered. She taught me and my two sisters, Bonnie and Marian, how to pray and honor God.

We lived in a primitive little Oregon town in the forest that afforded my father employment thru the Depression. She was what we now call a "stay at home mom," but what else would she do? She had children to raise and teach. She taught the essential basics - which to her were absolute and cardinal rules. First on her list I think was honesty, but the others held that held strongly in her heart, mind and soul in addition to honesty were patience, forbearance, calmness and a certitude that justice would prevail with God.

She had a very strong sense of fairness and equality and most of all, perhaps, was compassion.

Now as we lay her mortal remains to rest today - we each of us will miss much from her gentle perseverance in her love of her family and trust in God. Each of us who knew her and her gentle heart and quiet wisdom will have a void to fill - and especially we who had the honor to call her Mother and Wife.

May she now be at peace in God’s hands.