Mary Elsie Carlson

Mary Elsie Carlson, a longtime Troy resident, died Saturday, February 27, 2016 at Good Samaritan Moscow Village. She was 99. Mary Elsie was born February 10, 1917 at Absarokee, Montana to Walter E. and Edna Mae Kemph Littler. She started school in Montana, also attending at Viola, ID and graduated from Mt. Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Montana. She attended Walla Walla College at College Place, WA. She went to work in Moscow and met John Orvil Carlson at Moscow, and they were married on December 17, 1939. They moved to Troy to farm where she raised her family, drove truck and planted and maintained a large garden. She was an active member of the Big Meadow Club for many years and a founding member of the Troy Seventh Day Adventist Church. She enjoyed quilting and sharing them with her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 70 years, John Orvil Carlson in 2009, a grandson, Curtis Christie in 1999, a brother, Walter E. Littler, Jr. in 2005 and a sister, Mildred Cochrane in 1987. She is survived by her daughters, Eva Lou Diebel (E. Boyd) of Troy and Margaret Susan Carlson of Camas, WA and sons, Terrance (Laurie) Carlson of Dallas, OR and Kenneth O. Carlson of Troy. She also leaves 6 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, March 3rd at the Troy Seventh Day Adventist Church with Pastor Ole Olesen officiating. Burial will follow at the Beulah Cemetery and a lunch will be at the church afterward. The family suggests memorials be made to the Troy Ambulance Fund. Arrangements have been entrusted to Short's Funeral Chapel, Moscow, and online condolences may be left at www.shortsfuneralchapel.net.