Obituary of Martha Stevens Larsen

Martha Stevens Larsen, 97, of Fairmont, went to her eternal home on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Martha was the youngest of four children born to the late Ernest and Phyllis Watkins Dietrich on born March 16, 1927. She was preceded in death by her first husband and father of her children, Donald E. Stevens Sr., and also her second husband, Vernal Clinton Larsen. Mrs. Larsen is survived by her four children, Alan Ray Stevens (Sharon), Donald E. Stevens, Jr., Sandra Lea VanGilder (Dave), and Ernest Gregory Stevens (Oscar), her grandchildren, Rhealea (Tony) Scheffner and their four children, and Lori Marie (Michael) Stiffler. In addition to her husbands and her parents, Martha was preceded in death by her brother, Frederick Dietrich, and her twin sisters Mary Ellen Cummings and Mary Lyda Sturm and their husbands. As well as her favorite aunt and uncle Jeanette and Fred Dietrich of the Rock Lake Community. Martha and her family spent many summers at the lake. Martha kept a wonderful home while creating many memories of holidays, birthdays, baked goods, and Friday night TV with popcorn. Her Christmas coconut cakes were worth waiting a year for. She was an excellent seamstress and made clothing for herself and her daughter. Martha was a scoutmaster’s wife and sewed many merit badges on the sashes of her three Eagle Scout sons. She loved to embroider and was sought out at local craft shows for her handiworks. She also made hundreds of bib-aprons, hand towels, and beaded icicles. After the unexpected passing of her first husband, she met and married Clint Larsen while living in her winter home, near her daughter in St. George, Utah. She and Clint enjoyed their time with his large family. She loved his children and grandchildren as her own. They kept in touch after Clint’s passing up to her own end. Thank you, Kay, Linda, Carla, and Rex (Joyce), Martha was like a sister to Clint’s sister, Bonnie. After moving home to Fairmont in 2008, she kept her own home and was active at The Baptist Temple. She was active in the Carl Cain Sunday School class and loved each member of the class like family. She often dined with the retired employees of Hartley’s Department Store where she worked in the children’s department as the buyer for the department before the closing of the store. Martha loved being a part of her granddaughter’s lives. Martha went on to become a resident of Wishing Well Assisted Living community where she made new friends: Love you Marie, Harriet, and Olive. The family would like to recognize a special thank you to the Wishing Well staff members too numerous to name for making her daily life for four years very special. Also thanks to the nurses, CNAs, and Therapists at Pierpont Center. Her hospice care was also greatly appreciated. The family has entrusted the arrangements to Ford Funeral Home, 201 Columbia Street, Fairmont. In accordance with her wishes, cremation services will take place. Friends and family are invited to visit on Saturday, May 25, 2024 from 10AM until 12noon. A memorial service will be held at 12 noon in the funeral home with Rev. Dr. Allan Copenhaver officiating. Private graveside services will be held at a later date at the Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens in Westover, WV. Online condolences may be made to www.fordfuneralhomes.com