Jane C. Larson

Page — Jane Carrol Larson, 82, of Page, died Friday, April 4, 2025 at Avera St. Anthony's Hospital in O'Neill after fighting a battle with cancer.

Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with an 8 p.m. prayer service.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025 at Faith Community Church in O'Neill.

Burial will be in the Grimton Cemetery in rural Orchard.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

Jane, also known as “Janie,” was born to Frank and Marcelene (Ickler) Schwager on Dec. 12, 1942 on a cold winter day on the family farm near Orchard. She was the first born of three children. She attended country school one and a half miles away from the farm and often told of the stories of her and her sister having to go to school in a barrel on the back of a tractor during wintery days as a child. Jane then attended Orchard High School up until graduation in 1960. 

She worked for a newspaper office and volunteered to be a youth group and 4-H leader.

Janie had many talents and ambitions during her lifetime. She attended college at Kearney Beauty Academy and graduated in February of 1961 with a beautician's license.  

She then married her U.S. Navy man Lynn Larson on July 12, 1961 at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Orchard. They settled near Page, on her husband's family farmstead. Her father and husband built her a beauty salon in the town of Page and she operated her beauty shop for many years. The retirement home in O'Neill asked her to do hair on Saturdays and often she would fix hair at the mortuary for special funerals.

Jane decided to sell her Page beauty salon and kept her job fixing hair on Saturdays at the retirement home. Her husband told her to get a government job and so she did. She was the Page postmaster for a while before being hired as the office manager for Beverly Enterprises retirement home where she worked for over 20 years until going into a more private sector working with clients one on one to help with daily living tasks. She continued doing that from 2001 to 2024.  She even completed a CPR certification class at age 81 for her continuing education credits. She cared deeply about her clients.

Jane rarely sat still and was always doing something productive. Her hard work and tenacious attitude earned her several accomplishments, but her favorite role in life was being a grandma. She thrived when she was with her grandchildren and rarely missed any of their events. “Grandma” was always the centerpiece at holiday celebrations. Everyone would be laughing and having fun in her presence. Extra people would always be invited and she loved them as if they were family. They also called her “Grandma.”

Jane was a gifted musician and would often play her accordion or piano at the retirement home and family events. She was good at polka. She was always serving others through music, working, cooking, attending school events or planning the next girl's trip with her friends and “twin” cousin Wanda. She also enjoyed displaying her large flower garden at home.

Many who knew her described her as bubbly, fun and bright. The family also knew her as kind and spunky! She cared for everyone who was in her life and always put others before herself. Her hair was always fixed and no matter what outfit she was wearing, her purse always matched. Janie was always the light of the room and will be remembered by all for her contagious laugh. She is loved and will be missed by anyone who had the incredible opportunity to know her. We can't wait to see her beautiful smile again someday.

Jane is survived by her husband of 63 years Lynn Larson of Page; three daughters Marina Larson of Robbinsdale, MN and her daughter Shanna Kuehn of Portage, WI, Valerie Livingston of Orchard and her daughters Cadrien Livingston of Hubbard and Carlee Jo and Cassie Livingston of Orchard, and Gina Thomson and significant other Gary Johnson of Page and her children Larissa Thomson of Orchard and Trevor, Connor, Sierra and Makayla Thomson all of Page; one sister JoAnn (John) Peterson of Johnstown, CO; one brother Sam (Barb) Schwager of Orchard; one sister- in- law Rita (Richard) Padilla of Bakersfield, CA; and nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Marcelene Schwager, two sons-in-law Craig Livingston and Keith Thomson and one brother-in-law Earl “Skip” Woodworth.