Bernice (Bunny) Louella Minerva Larson
Bernice (Bunny) Louella Minerva Larson passed away October 8th 2015. Bunny was born in Eagle River Ontario, on January 19th 1929, to Walter and Esther Lundeen.
Eagle River was a close knit community where Bunny spent many happy years growing up with all of her cousins and friends. School was 4 miles away and Bunny would walk there, even through those cold Ontario winters. When her younger sister Fran started school, Bunny would carry her on the handle bars of her bike so she didn’t have to walk. After leaving when she was finished her grade 10 year, the highest grade Eagle River School went to, she started working at Jake’s store. She met Bruce Larson there, just after he had been discharged from the army.
Bunny and Bruce were married May 10th 1947. They lived in Eagle River in a cabin that Bruce and Bunny’s dad, Walter, built. They began their family while living there with the arrival of their first child Marilynne on October 8th 1950. Bruce and Bunny moved to Terrace Bay in 1951 where Bruce got a job at the pulp and paper mill. In 1959 they were blessed with a new addition, their son Robert (Rob). In 1965 Bruce and Bunny moved their family to B.C., settling in Ladysmith. Bunny and Bruce spent many wonderful years in Ladysmith making some great friends and memories. Sadly the family lost both Bruce and Rob in the fall of 1998.
A few years after Bruce and Rob passed away Bunny was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She could no longer live on her own and spent the last of her years residing at Travellers lodge in Nanaimo BC. Bunny’s personality still shone through making her a favourite of the staff who truly loved her sweetness and humour. Bunny was known for her great sense of humour, beautiful penmanship and poetry writing. She wrote poems for just about everyone celebrating a special occasion.
Family was very important to Bunny, she was the best of Nana’s, and loved spending time with her grand-kids, making up songs for them and recounting stories of her childhood. Her and Marilynne were the best of friends, they spent many happy hours together, shopping, going on trips and laughing hysterically.
Bunny is survived by daughter Marilynne (Graham) Toole. Grandchildren Shawna-Lee (Mick) DeCosta, Rachelle (Pete) Vaughn, Mike (Jenaya) Toole. Great-grandchildren, Lochlan, Naviya and Graham. Sisters Fran Normand and Bev (Rosaire) Roussin. Nephews, Gerry, Dan, Jim, David and Joel. Nieces, Jaynie, Sue and Nikki.
Bunny will be missed by many, but there was a welcoming party for her when she reached the other side. When you hear the thunder, it’s only laughter coming from the skies because of some crazy joke or poem Bunny just told.
She will be forever in our hearts and souls.
There will be a celebration of life for Bunny October 24th, 2015 from 1p.m.-4p.m. at the Diamond Hall in Ladysmith BC.