Jenny B. Larsen

Honored by:Bob and Margaret Blumenschein
Brick location:F:27  map

Jenny B. Larsen my mother born in Christiania, (now Oslo) the capital city of Norway in 1885 came to visit family in Connecticut in 1906; there she met her husband-to-be a Yale student (also from Norway) enrolled in the then-young School of Forestry.

In 1913 this city-bred girl found herself living in the forests of northern Idaho when her husband became director of the U.S. Forest Service Research Station. Here she became a leader in area activities helping start the school system, interacting with ranch neighbors, and organizing Red Cross meetings during World War I. She was also hostess to foresters from around the world who came to observe the Station's program and experiments.

Life in Ames began for her in 1924 when my father came to the Iowa State Forestry Department. During the next 50 years her days were filled with friendships: She loved people, loved entertaining, loved her church (St. John's-by-the-Campus), Tuesday Club Faculty Women's Club - but most of all she wished to be remembered for helping a whole procession of foreign students find their way through adjustments to Iowa State.

She died in November 1979 and lies in the College Cemetery next to her husband.

7/1/96