A Ghost in the Chateau

 

Chateau de Roumegouse

A Ghost in the Chateau

memoir

by Gregory E. Larson

           Do you believe in ghosts? Whenever I’m asked that question, I tell the story of a dark night on a hilltop in south-central France in the summer of 2007, when Gretta and I were guests at the Chateau de Roumegouse near the town of Rignac. It was at the beginning of our bike tour along the Dordogne River Valley.

 

          “Larsons,” The chateau manager and the tour guide spoke in unison as they looked up from their lists to my wife and me.  
           The manager held the last room key and dangled the leather strap with a wood medallion. All the other keys had been handed out to the tour participants who were leaving the chateau lobby to search for their assigned rooms. He turned to us and spoke in a hushed voice with a French accent, “You have the Roumegouse Suite!” The two men looked at us as though we should understand it was something special. The manager continued, “Charles de Gaulle was a guest at our chateau after World War II, when he wanted a quiet summer vacation.” He raised one eyebrow and said, “The Roumogouse Suite was his favorite. Enjoy!” He laid the key in the palm of my hand.
          Our footsteps echoed off the stone steps and walls of the stairway as we grabbed the massive rope railing. The look and smell of the place shouted “ancient!”
          I was baffled as to why we were given the key to the main suite. Maybe it was the Gretta factor again – good things always happened when I was with her.
          I jiggled the key and asked “Why did we get this?”
          She leaned toward me as we approached the hallway door and said quietly, “I think it’s a perk for being a repeat tour customer and for getting along so well with the guides and the riders.”
          I inserted the large skeleton key into the keyhole and slowly opened the doors, one on each side of the eighteen-inch-thick limestone wall in the hallway. We stepped in and peered around the room.
          I made sure the doors were shut and said, “Oh my God, don’t tell anyone about the size of our suite or they’ll be ticked. It’s just our little secret.” Gretta jumped up on the giant bed with the antique wood headboard, and I flopped down on the sofa in a separate seating area with oriental rugs, tables and lamps. Massive French windows filled the exterior wall, and the view was of a verdant lawn with woods beyond. “Wow!” I couldn’t believe it. The huge bathroom had a “his” and hers” area with closets and heated towel racks.


Greg and Gretta at the end of the first day

          We had finished the bike ride for the day, so I let Gretta take her shower first. I lounged on the sofa and looked at the magazines and literature on the table. A brochure, which had the history of the chateau, caught my eye.
          The Roumegouse chateau was built in the 10^th century and served as a hilltop outpost for Castelnau, one of the large castles along the Dordogne River. Early in the history of the chateau, its resident knight decided it was his moral obligation to join the crusades to the Middle East. The fateful trip cost him his life and caused extreme grief to his wife, Resplendine de Rignac. According to legend, she died of a broken heart and her ghost still haunts the chateau. Rumors abound of lavender scents, ghostly images and nighttime shuffling noises in the hallways.
          Late in the afternoon while we were exploring the grounds, I shared with Gretta the story about the chateau being haunted. We didn’t give it much thought while we looked at the stone-shingled outbuildings covered with moss. Another discovery was a bizarre path to nowhere, a spiral ramp which had no purpose. Gretta dubbed it the “folly.”

The "folly" - spiral ramp to nowhere

           We spent the remainder of the day relaxing on the patio, and whet our appetites on a fine French dinner with the bike tour group. Late into the evening we tipped our wine glasses and shared stories. Finally, Gretta and I said our “goodnight” to the remaining folks and walked along the dimly-lit stone hallway. I quickly grabbed her waist from behind.
          “Watch out for ghosts!” I said.
          “That’s not funny.” She gave me a look that said “don’t scare me like that.”
          Once in the room, I knew I’d be in bed and asleep in five minutes. Hmm . . . so Charles de Gaulle slept here. I wondered if he snored with that big nose of his. Did French snoring sound the same as American snoring? As I drifted off to sleep, I heard Gretta say she would probably read for a while.


Charles de Gaulle slept here

          All of a sudden, I awoke in a state of semi-consciousness and disorientation. Where was I? What time was it? I stirred . . . then my body froze. Oh, my God . . .  the image before me was a glowing wall which created a silhouette of a woman! I shifted from drowsiness to sheer panic. It’s the ghost! In milliseconds the adrenaline shot through my body. Am I in danger? What will happen next? What is the ghost going to do to me? She could stab or strangle me to death! I tried to scream but the only sound that came out was a tiny, gurgling groan.
          “Greg, are you awake?”
          I rubbed my eyes and looked at the glowing wall. It was Gretta standing in the bathroom doorway.
          “This bathroom is so big I can’t find the switch to turn off the lights.”
          I fell back on the pillow with my heart racing a mile-a-minute. “Oh my gosh, I thought you were the ghost! I was afraid you were going to strangle me.” I took a deep breath and we both laughed and laughed, and we couldn’t stop laughing.
          I raised my hands, made a cross with my two index fingers, and turned toward the large room. I spoke with a stern voice, “In the name of Jesus, do not haunt us tonight. Stay away!”
          We laughed some more, and I went to sleep for a second time. It’s quite possible I snored, but I never heard a thing the entire night.



French countryside near Chateau de Roumegouse

 

The Unusual Wisconsin Tourist Attraction

 

The Unusual Wisconsin Tourist Attraction

memoir

by Gregory E. Larson

          “The weather is perfect, with a bit of a south breeze, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy being on the bike today.” It was the third day of the 2006 Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River, and our bike tour leader was reviewing the day’s route, giving the riders tips on different attractions. “There are plenty of things to see, so you can take your pick, or just ride the bike. Some of you may want to go to the railroad museum, and if that doesn’t interest you, there is always the crane center.”

          Ooo . . . a crane center. I envisioned towering construction cranes with cantilevered booms . . .Manitowocs with cables, gears, and massive counterweights . . . some big honkin’ equipment. Maybe the crane center has a beer garden. Who knows? . . . maybe even polka music. I looked at Gretta and said, “Let’s stop at the crane center. It sounds interesting.”

          Off we went, pedaling across the Wisconsin countryside, a biker’s dream of hills, rivers and woods. I was happy as a lark. It couldn’t get any better, with Gretta by my side. We were outdoors, doing what we loved, and the crane center sounded like icing on the cake. It would be a perfect day.

          Later that afternoon, as we rolled across the landscape, I asked Gretta, “How much farther is it to the crane center?”

          “I think we’re getting close . . . maybe a couple of miles.”

           I looked out onto the horizon and began to get an empty feeling. I expected to see some crane towers, but no man-made elements came into view. Nothing. Something wasn’t right, so I asked Gretta, “What kind of a crane center is this? I don’t see any construction cranes . . . is this like the bird cranes?”

          Gretta started laughing and said, “Boy, are you in for a rude awakening. Yes, it’s where they care for endangered Whooping Cranes. I think they have some baby cranes, too. I hope we get to see one.”

          “You’ve got to be kidding!”

          “No. It’s the bird cranes.” Gretta gave me a funny look. “So you thought it was going to be a bunch of construction cranes?”

          We both started laughing so hard our bikes began to swerve back and forth across the road. Oh well, so much for the vision of steel towers and a beer garden.

          I switched my perspective from construction man to nature boy and it became an educational afternoon. We entered the crane sanctuary and were quietly guided to a bird blind which allowed us to view a pond. The guide told us if we were patient, we might see a mother Whooping Crane and her baby come out for an afternoon walk. Sure enough, after a few minutes we spied a tall white neck in the marsh grass, slowly walking toward the pond.

          First, the mother poked out of the grass to make sure it was safe to proceed. Then the baby rushed out and splashed into the water. The mother strolled ahead on her stilt-like legs with her young one close behind. She stopped a few times and showed the baby how to look for food by poking the beak into the silt below the surface. After watching the mom, the baby bird made few feeble stabs into the water and the mud. I realized it was a brief glimpse into the world of nature that we rarely get to see.

          The afternoon turned out to be quite different than I had originally envisioned, but it reinforced my belief that every day with Gretta was an adventure.

Mother and baby Whooping Crane
photo by Gregory E. Larson

Song for a Winter's Night

          Winter's solstice has just passed. Christmas Eve is drawing near, with year's end close at hand. It gives me pause to remember Gretta and let the lyrics of a Gordon Lightfoot song speak to me one more time before I contemplate the future.

internet image

First and last verses of

"Song For A Winter's Night"

by

Gordon Lightfoot
 

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top
The snow is softly falling
The air is still in the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly calling

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter night with you 
And to be once again with you
 

A Little Surprise on Wedding Day



Gretta's smile was like a magnet.



Preface: It’s been a tough year in losing Gretta, but a big part of my therapy is to remember the good times and happy times. I’ve decided to share some funny moments in this blog and in the next few to come. We liked to laugh, but Gretta had a rule that I couldn’t tell her anything funny if she had any food or drink in her mouth, because she didn’t want to choke.

So here’s the first of a few anecdotes:

A Little Surprise on Wedding Day

memoir

by Gregory E. Larson

 

Greg and Gretta’s Wedding day – February 7^th, 2004

St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church

Mission, Kansas

           With five minutes to go before the bride’s procession, brothers Dan, Tim, and I were in the side chapel at St. Michael’s. The priest said it was our holding pen until he came in and gave us the high sign. Excited and nervous, I looked around the small, modern room that was designed in a style similar to Frank Lloyd Wright’s - a very different space than the big, traditional sanctuary that awaited us.

          I spied a pedestal with a sleek, ceramic bowl, and picked it up to inspect the piece of art. As I tipped the bottom up to see if it was signed by the artist, I was rudely greeted with a whoosh of water cascading down the front of my black suit.

          Tim had an incredulous look on his face. “What are you doing?”

          Dan exclaimed, “Holy Water!” Then we all laughed.

          I put the bowl back on its pedestal and we quickly mopped up the water with some tissues, leaving the soggy mess under the chairs. Immediately the priest knocked on the door and said it was time to go.

          That’s when I understood why people wore black clothing to formal occasions. It hides accidents. We walked out to stand in front of all the family and friends seated before us, and my smiling bride began her walk down the aisle from the rear of the church as the organ music swelled and filled the sanctuary.

          The ceremony was a happy occasion (the black suit dried quickly), and Gretta was all smiles. At the end, we proceeded out of the sanctuary, toward fellowship hall for food and music. I noticed the church custodian in the narthex and motioned for Gretta to wait just a moment. I leaned over to the custodian, and spoke in a hushed and nonchalant manner, “Oh, I noticed some tissues on the floor in the chapel. Some kids must have been playing there. You might want to check it out.” I turned to Gretta and said, “Don’t ask, I’ll tell you later.”

          The reception was alive with harp music, a buffet dinner, and lots of friends and family. I realized my brothers and I were the only ones who knew about the splish-splash in the chapel — just our little secret. The wedding festivities ended and Gretta and I were full of anticipation to leave on our honeymoon to Jamaica. It wasn’t until we were driving to the airport that I told her about the incident in the chapel. That was just the beginning of many laughs we had together over the years. Holy Water! Who would have thought that I’d get an informal baptism just in the knick of time, before we said our wedding vows.

Skating in the Light

Gretta at USFSA - 1998 Adult Nationals
photo by Wendi Collins

 

Skating in the Light

memoir

by Gregory E. Larson

Preface: I give a special ‘thank you’ to artist and adult skater Wendi Collins for giving me permission to use the photos in which she captured Gretta preparing to compete in the 1998 United States Figure Skating Association - Adult Nationals in Oakland, California.

          In the aftermath of Gretta’s death and funeral, the sympathy cards covered the dining room table. All were special to me. I read them over and over many times. It was evident that Gretta had made a deep impression on the lives of so many people. The cards and letters included heartfelt memories of times together, pictures, artwork, and personal observations about her friendliness and strong character.

          One of the cards, from Wendi Collins, included black and white photos of Gretta, taken in 1998 at the Adult Nationals figure skating competition in Oakland, California. It was her second national competition and she placed first and second in her two events. The pictures were of Gretta preparing and waiting to go out on the ice to perform. They had an artistic flair of dark and light, with Gretta in unassuming poses while she tightened the laces on her skates or while she stood at rink-side. 

Gretta preparing to go out on the ice
photo by Wendi Collins

          I couldn’t quite put my finger on why the photos were different, but I kept going back to look at them. Part of the fascination was their realism. It seemed as if I could reach out and touch her cheek. I sensed she was focused on making sure her mind, body, and spirit were ready.

 

          One day, I pulled out the black and white pictures, to ponder each one and give them a closer look. I sat down with a cup of afternoon coffee, or kaffestunde, as Gretta had called it. The late afternoon break had become my grieving ritual, a private time to think about all the happy times we shared and how much I appreciated being with her. As I looked at the photos, a metaphor began to take shape in my mind, with the skating rink as heaven, and the sideline-bench area as earth.

          I looked at Gretta standing by the bench near the rink. Her head, with that giant, signature smile of hers, was turned back towards Wendi’s camera. Oh, that smile. It had refreshed me countless times, whenever I returned home from work or an errand. It was a magnetic attraction. When I fell in love, I told myself I wanted to be around that smile as I grew old.  
 

Gretta showed no fear
photo by Wendi Collins

          If she had any fear of going out on the ice, her smile and state of mind were her weapons to fight off the trepidation – something I saw in the months and weeks before she succumbed to cancer. In the photo, it was apparent that she had prepared to go out and perform on the rink, just as she had prepared herself for the unknown during her final days. 

          I touched the edges of the photo and noticed that the bright lights of the rink had washed out the background. It reminded me of how much fun I had going to the competitions in the dark of winter. The light on the ice was always a magical spectacle to me, a place where the skater’s sequins sparkled as they spun their magic and the music pulsed throughout the rink. It was a perfect remedy for shaking off the winter blues.

          The two men in the picture stood closer to the rink and were looking towards the light, as if enthralled at a place where they could not go – a place so close, yet so far away – thus the metaphor of the rink as heaven.

          In the left side of the picture, I also noticed the concrete column. Attached to the column was a placard of rules. Yes, there are plenty of rules on earth – some more significant than others. Once on the rink, or in heaven, the rules fade away, and those who have prepared will experience the exhilaration of a fantastic new universe.

          I remembered Gretta telling me that when she was out on the ice waiting for the music to start, sometimes her knees began to shake in the silence before the crowd and the judges. To overcome her fear, she always took a deep breath, smiled at the judges and then focused on the task before her. I saw those same qualities near the end of her life as she fought the cancer and eventually as she came to terms with meeting her maker.

          It was Gretta’s character that also attracted me to her. She had a discipline and a persistence that towered above most mortals, including me. It was a discipline that was not stressful to her. It came as a natural force from within – a matter-of-fact quality that was a part of her personality.

          In her last weeks, she spent a lot of time sitting outdoors, facing into the wind with her eyes closed. To me, those were her private times with God. Whatever fear she had, she kept it within, preparing for her day of reckoning as a skater would prepare for the day in front of the judges.

          Now I know she’s up there somewhere, smiling, awash in the light, full of energy and floating across the ice, at peace with God and the universe.
 

Gretta skating in the light

  

Skating Images of Gretta





It is difficult for me to do much writing these days, so soon after Gretta has passed away. I do like sharing memories of her, especially that relate to her skating.

 

I am sharing this post of three pictures of Gretta during her 2003 Adult National Competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The pictures were sent to me from  an architect and adult skater, Jesse Miguel. These three photos are some of the best skating pictures that exist of Margretta, and they came from a fellow skater, not a professional photographer.

 

Gretta in her spiral pose (the middle judge is smiling!)

Gretta is airborne in one of her jumps.

 

Gretta smiles with a look of pure happiness.

 



A rare winter day on a pond near Topeka in 2007
 



Gretta's signature spiral glide in the freedom of the outdoors



The skater's pose (Gretta - not Greg)



The Day I Heard Violins

Gretta in the north woods of Wisconsin

Preface: In 2002, Gretta and I fell in love in the little town of Crandon in Northern Wisconsin. It wasn’t Paris or Rome, but it was a place which taught us that life is what you make of it.

The Day I heard Violins

memoir
by Gregory E. Larson

           The pines of northern Wisconsin exhaled their scent on the warm July day, while Gretta and I perspired profusely as we pedaled our bikes for the start of a week-long tour. We had hoped the trip, with its route along the Wisconsin River, would provide relief from the Kansas heat, but the temperature had reached the 90s by early afternoon. The Wisconsinites on the tour were complaining about the heat and some of the riders were getting dehydrated. Other than the pine scent, it seemed like a summer day in Kansas to Gretta and me. We just put on more sunscreen and drank more water. No big deal.

A hot day in Wisconsin

          After fifty miles of pedaling, we arrived at the Crandon High School, the first night’s destination, and pitched our tents on the practice field. Crandon was in the north woods country, but there were no large trees around the school.  Inside the school, the muggy air in the hallways rudely made us aware that no air-conditioning existed in the building. Even with big fans and root beer floats in the cafeteria, everyone sweltered.
          This was our first week-long vacation together, and I was worried it was fast becoming a bad experience.  “What’s wrong with this picture?” I asked Gretta. Our eyes met. I made a quick decision. “Let’s ride the bikes into town and see if we can find a park . . . get some shade. It’s only a couple of miles.”
          Gretta eagerly responded, “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.”
          I liked Gretta’s spirit. She was always ready for adventure. We felt better the moment we hopped on the bikes and rode in the cross-wind towards Crandon. Once in town, I looked left and right at each intersection, hoping to see a grove of trees, but nothing looked inviting. We noticed the Crandon Police Station and I said, “Let’s ask them if there’s a park in town.” I knew from experience the police have a wealth of information, including good places to eat.
          The officer at the front desk looked bored on the Sunday afternoon. He peered at us in our bike clothes and said, “Looks like you’re having fun. What can I do for you two?”
          “Well, we’re with the cyclists staying at the high school. We thought there might be a park in town to find some shade.”
          The officer’s eyes perked up and he responded, “I can do you one better than that. If you go back west one block and then south for six, you’ll be at Crandon Beach on the lake. It’s real nice . . . has trees for shade, grass for picnics and a sandy beach.”
          Gretta and I gave a look of incredible to each other.
          “Thanks for the info.” I opened the door for Gretta. “Let’s go.”
          We followed the instructions and coasted most of the way down to the lake. It was a one-way ticket to heaven on earth. The small beach had a family atmosphere of dogs, kids, and parents, a dozen people in all. Other than the two of us, there was not a single cyclist or bicycle in sight. I flopped onto the cool grass in the shade.
          Gretta sat beside me and said, “There’s no one here from the bike tour. Can you believe it? We’re the only ones here out of hundreds of cyclists.” A strong, south breeze flowed across the lake and onto the shore, while the white-capped waves rolled onto the beach causing the children to jump and laugh.
          I was amazed. All I could say was “Wow. This is so cool.”
          Gretta sat with her face to the wind, eyes closed. I suspected she was enjoying it, too. For the next few minutes we sat with legs outstretched and with our elbows propping us up to catch the breeze.
          I broke the silence. “The water looks like fun. You want to get wet?”
          “Sure.”
          I pulled the bike jersey up over my head and tossed it on the ground. Incredibly, Gretta did the same with hers. Thank goodness she was wearing a sports bra. We walked hand-in-hand to the beach where the wind, the waves, the freedom and relaxation – all of it washed over us. As the sand and water tickled our feet, we felt giddy and began to laugh.  Deeper and deeper into the water we waded, when all of a sudden a big wave appeared. Gretta jumped as a white-cap splashed us, we caressed and I held her with my arm under her knees and the other arm wrapped around her back.
          That’s when I heard the violins.
          Cupid cranked up the orchestra. I looked in Gretta’s eyes and thought why would I want to be with anyone else? Gretta’s eyes appeared to say the same thing, and we kissed. It was such a heavenly feeling. Her body seemed weightless in the water and I didn’t want to let go. I kept walking with her in my arms, hoping the bliss would never end. That was the moment I knew I was truly in love. I was convinced that good things happened when we were together.
          Eventually we strolled back to the shore where I found a fisherman’s cap which had washed up on the beach. I wore the wet cap as a memento, and we sat back down in the grass to dry off.

The fisherman's cap I found on the beach

          That’s when another cyclist rode into the park and brought over a six-pack of beer wrapped in a beach towel.
          He smiled and said, “I stopped at the store and got some beer . . . I thought there would be a lot of cyclists down here.”
          I replied, “We’re the only ones, but a beer sounds good to me.” We each opened a can and surreptitiously sipped the beer while we visited. It was a nice finish to a magical day.
          Over the years, we both reminisced about our walk in the lake at Crandon Beach. The rest of the bike tour was full of fun, laughter and adventure. Truly, it set the tone for our entire relationship and our future. We had discovered how to make our own happiness.

Making our own happiness

         Crandon. Whenever the word came up in our conversation, we’d give each other a dreamy gaze. It was the classic Gretta Factor - when I was with her, good things seemed to happen.
          I will always remember that special day when I held her in my arms and heard violins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeRoCJIHBP4&index=2&list=RDoeRoCJIHBP4

          Click the link above to hear Joshua Bell playing the violin to Claudio Monteverdi's ‘Pur Ti Miro’ which is Italian for ‘while I gaze.’ I listen to it and daydream about Gretta practicing her figure skating. I can see her starting out slowly gaining confidence and freedom on the ice, then doing little half-jumps and turns – a picture of contentment. As the music quickens I see her boldly jumping into the air. This was symbolic of her life in the last fifteen years – a person who was free to accomplish many things with the self-assurance and happiness that was visible to all.

 

 

Eulogy for Margretta Larson (1952-2016)

 

Eulogy for Margretta Larson (1952 – 2016)

by Gregory E. Larson

Preface:
          We all honored Margretta on the day of her funeral. With the church so full of friends and family, I imagined that those who passed by must have thought the service was for some business titan, a CEO, or well-known public figure. No, it was a farewell for a simple, private person, Margretta, who touched so many people with her smile and kindness. She caringly made her connections one person at a time. It is a reminder that our daily interactions do have an impact on others in this troubled world.
          I want to thank all who came to the service and I give the most heartfelt thanks to my friend, Kirk Gastinger, who so eloquently read the eulogy that I wrote for the one I will miss so much.
          

           The loss of Margretta is incomprehensible. The void is immense. I want to rend my shirt, raise my fists to the sky and scream, “Why, God, why?”

          Why is she gone? God only knows.
          How will we cope with the loss? God only knows.
          Every morning, my heart sang arias and a Jamaican love song, just knowing that I could reach out and touch her. She meant the world to me. Our love, which had many facets, grew stronger each day. We wanted it to last for 10,000 years and have Douglas our dog with us, too.
          The mutual trust and admiration fueled our love and made us believe we could do anything. All was in balance. We each enjoyed our own personal hobbies and time with friends, and we also loved the time we spent together.
          I admired her figure-skating ability and was amazed at her persistence and tenacity while she practiced in the early mornings. She was a gutsy gal, physically strong, yet she had such a sweet, feminine side with her smile and her caring nature.


Margretta shows her 'joie de vie'

            Although she competed in national figure-skating competitions, many people didn’t know that the competitive side of her took a back seat to the pure joy she had on the ice. Once she learned how to figure skate, her coaches begged her to compete because her skills were so strong. She crafted her skating costumes and glued every sequin onto the fabric to make it sparkle when she moved on the ice.  The judges didn’t miss her Cheshire-cat grin while she glided past them during her performances.
          When we rode bikes together, I marveled at her ability to keep up with riders twice her size. Once in Wisconsin, I watched her stand up on the pedals as we rode up a big hill in the rain. I said to myself, “She is one tough woman.”


Margretta made me feel like a king on the tandem

           On the tandem bike, we rode all the side streets in Kansas City. I felt like a king as we pedaled to Brookside or the Plaza for coffee. We found any excuse to ride: picnics, visits to see friends, and trips to our favorite restaurants and specialty stores. Children would see the two-seater bike, then point and yell, “Hey, look!” Margretta always rang the bell and gave a big wave as we sped past.
          Our travels in the U.S. and in Europe brought out the best in us. During the journeys we’d have unexpected twists and turns. When things got bizarre, we’d look at each other, smile and laugh, knowing everything would be okay. We relished every trip and had so much fun along the way.  She was my Audrey Hepburn, and I, her Cary Grant.

Margretta at Cathedral Rock - Sedona, Arizona

          We wasted no time during the fifteen years we spent together, finding adventures around every bend and corner of our journeys together. During her cancer we were able to travel to Boston, Phoenix, Santa Barbara, and Switzerland.
          One of our traditions was afternoon coffee. She said the Germans called it Kaffestunde. Her preference for strong coffee with a cookie or pastry treat fueled our discussions. Many times our short chats would extend into hour-long discussions filled with laughter. She often shared what she was reading for her book club, the close-knit group of friends that meant so much to her.
          Margretta was a linguist at heart, and she spoke fluent German, Italian and French. She was very precise with the grammar rules of each language and was a master at verb conjugation. Her attendance at La Causerie classes were a tradition started by her mom decades ago.
          On her last day at KU Med Center, a doctor asked her a question. She responded, speaking fluent French. The doctor said, “I’m impressed with your French, but I only know how to speak English today.” Then he asked, “How do you feel?”
          She paused and spoke with determination. “I am really tired, but my French is very good.”
          I just ask God to help all of us in the days ahead. I pray that he’ll ease our pain and give us a litany of thoughts and memories to get us through the loss. We are all truly blessed to have seen her strong heart and spirit.
           Why is she gone? God only knows. How will we cope with the loss? God only knows.
          But I am convinced of one thing. There was only one Margretta, and her memory will brighten the lives of those she touched.

Margretta is miles from nowhere in Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado

Margretta Larson (1952-2016)