Viola Wursten Larsen

MENDON--Viola Wursten Larsen passed away peacefully of natural causes in Mendon, Utah, at the home of her son on Friday, April 23, 2010. The youngest of six children, she was born February 11, 1916, in Logan, Utah, to John Alfred and Mary Weber Wursten. She married Joseph A. Larsen on December 20, 1933, in the Logan LDS Temple. Viola was proud of her Swiss heritage and had many fond memories of her childhood in the area of Logan known as "Little Germany." She enjoyed sharing family stories and native Swiss recipes and traditions with her family and friends. She was a loving, compassionate woman who had a special touch with babies and the elderly. Her children were her greatest joy in life and she adored her grandchildren. Viola loved music and could often be heard humming hymns while she was cooking, cleaning and gardening. She participated in plays, wrote poetry, painted in oils, crocheted and quilted beautifully, and sang solos and duets with her sister. Her cooking was legendary and she often sent her children out to deliver dinner to those who were alone or in need before her own family sat down to eat. Viola's wonderful sense of humor was evident right up to her passing. Wherever she went, she made friends quickly and continued to keep in touch. She welcomed foreign students from the university into her home for dinner and made many lasting friendships with them. She loved nature and had an amazing green thumb, reviving many wilted plants others thought were beyond help. Flowers, snow-capped mountains, wildlife, meadows and wildflowers brought her endless joy. She cherished her pets and the farm animals. Viola realized a life-long dream when she opened the Valley View Nursing Home in Mendon. She showed sincere love and respect for those in her care and felt it a great blessing to serve those sweet, elderly souls. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends. Viola is preceded in death by her husband and son, Mark. She is survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her children, Gordon Nadine Larsen, Sydney Valerie Larsen, Verna the late Butch Olsen, Dr. Nancy Larsen, and Debby Sheldon Herget. We express our heartfelt gratitude to those from Hospice who so tenderly cared for our mother: Mandi, Tamara, Danielle, Lindsey, Jennifer and special friend, Lily. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in the Mendon Stake Center located at 476 South 100 East. A viewing will be held at Nelson Funeral Home, 162 East 400 North, Logan, Monday, April 26, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and at the Stake Center on Tuesday from 11:30 to 12:30 prior to the service. Interment will be in the Mendon Cemetery. Condolences may be extended to the family online at www.nelsonfuneralhome.com .