Irma Jean Larson, better known as Jeanie, longtime resident of Pine City passed suddenly on Sept. 28, 2010 at the age of 78. She was wife of the late Clifford E. Larson. She recently survived major heart surgery and died later in rehabilitation.Irma Jean Larson was born in Alma, Wis. on May 11, 1932 to her parents Alfred & Alice Zittel. She grew up in Alma before moving to Pine City in 1946, where she met and married Clifford on June 13, 1949. They lived in Pine City for their entire 55 year marriage.Jeanie worked several jobs during her lifetime, such as a waitress at the 61 Way Café, where a dime was a big tip. She worked as a welder at the arsenal where she became one of their top welders. She laughed about the time she worked at The Pine City Mercantile where employees were not trusted with the money. They were required to send the money to the office via tin cup fashioned on a pulley and a string. Her youngest daughter now owns that building, and runs her own business there. She also worked at the town bakery before landing a job with Ma Bell.Her final career was working for Northwestern Bell and AT&T as a telephone operator for many years before retiring in 1990. When she started her job with Ma Bell, it was located on the second floor above the present day location of The Pizza Pub. Back then, she used an old fashioned (wired) telephone switch board. She always joked that they weren’t supposed to listen in on phone calls, but when an emergency call came in they couldn’t help but listen.Jeanie always had a smile on her face, and people loved being around her. If you were to stop in to visit, she would be sure to offer you something to eat. If you were lucky enough to stop on the day she baked cinnamon rolls, you would never forget it because they were the best in the world.She adored her family, and simply loved when we could all get together. Whether it was a holiday, family reunion, camping trip, or cruise vacation, she loved having us together. Irma Jean thrived on her grandchildren as well, and loved reading, movies and watching TV. She also loved viewing nature and the changing season’s right outside her home on the water’s edge.In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son Clifford (Butch), her husband Clifford Earl, her brother Dave, and her sister Marjorie.She will be lovingly remembered by her four sons and daughters-in-law, Kent and Darlene of Isanti; Dirk and Cathy of Roseville; Eric and Patti of Golden Valley; Peter and Cindy of Grand Forks, ND.; her two daughters and sons-in-law, Holly and Dirk Kienzle of Bismarck, ND.; Marni and Ron Steltz of Braham; her 17 grandchildren; her 11 great-grandchildren; her sister, Isabell Stuber of Shawano, WI; her brothers and sisters-in-law Alfred (Sonny) and Marvella of Alma, WI; Anthony and Marge of Winona, MN; her many nieces, nephews, and friends.At Irma’s request, it was her wish to be cremated, and there will be no services.
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