Louise - Tobin's Obituary
Louise died, March 9, 2009 at her home in St. Helens, Oregon.
Louise Tobin, born Louise Larson on June 3, 1913 in Astoria, Oregon, was the eldest of three children of Oscar and Sara Larson of Rocky Point, Washington.
In 1920, the family moved to St. Helens, Oregon where they remained until the children were grown.
Louise attended St. Helens High School and then the University of Washington where she graduated in 1956.
She got her Master degree in Home Economics with an emphasis in Apparel Design from Oregon State University in 1960.
She also attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota to work toward a doctorate but never completed it.
She taught for 25 years at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. She taught courses in Creativity and Weaving. She was the chair of the Home Economics department at CWU for several years.
She is survived by two nephews and 6 grand nieces and nephews.
Louise traveled to Ecuador one year while on sabbatical to study native weaving and crafts.
In the early 1970's she and her eldest nephew David, traveled to her ancestral home of Katthammarsvik Sweden located on the island of Gotland.
Louise loved animals and had a number of pure-bred German Sheppard and Airedale dogs.
She was intensely interested in weaving and owned a home loom, where she wove fabrics from time to time. She was an superb clothes designer and seamstress. Every garment she ever made looked professional and never fell apart.
Louise also loved gardening and could often be found planting, weeding or tending to her wide assortment of edible and ornamental plants.
Her home in Ellensburg, she designed herself and also managed much of the construction, tiling her kitchen counters herself with help from her nephews. She also had an avid interest in alternative energy sources and built a Hasa to heat her home.
After her retirement from Central Washington University, she sold her house and moved back to St. Helens, building a new home to reside in there.
Living Life creatively, sums up Louise's outlook on life pretty well. She will be missed.
What’s your fondest memory of Louise?
What’s a lesson you learned from Louise?
Share a story where Louise's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Louise you’ll never forget.
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