Laura Blanche France Stenberg

Laura Blanche France Stenberg, 86, died Oct. 20, 2012, at her home in Palmer.

Her ashes will be buried in the spring at the Palmer Pioneer Cemetery with her husband, Art, and a celebration is planned at that time.

Laura was born March 22, 1926, in Trommald, Minn., to Grant and Iva (Hendershot) France. In 1935, the France family was chosen for the Colony Project in the Matanuska Valley and Laura made her home in Palmer since that time.

Laura attended and graduated from Palmer Central School in 1945. She began playing for the varsity basketball team in the eighth grade and earned five varsity bars for basketball during her high school career.

Laura met and later married Art Stenberg in 1948. They built their home on part of the France family’s farm and raised their two children, Sam Arthur and Peter Ann.

Laura worked for Koslosky’s Department Store for many years and for the Palmer Detachment of the Alaska State Troopers until her retirement in 1986.

Art died in 1992, and in 2000 Laura reconnected with Lester “Murphy” Ellsworth, a classmate and Colony kid from Palmer. In 2002, they married and spent the next 10 years between Arizona in the winters and Alaska in the summer.

Laura was an avid skier and fisherwoman who enjoyed gardening, travel and reading. In the past three years she decided to quilt and produced many wonderful pieces.

Surviving are her husband, Lester “Murphy” Ellsworth; son and wife, Sam Stenberg and Sharon Sadlon; daughter, Peter Ann Stenberg; granddaughters, Kara and Kaisa Stenberg; sister-in-law, Lyla “Jinx” France; and many nieces, nephews and loving friends.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Grant and Iva France; brothers, Vernon, Miles and Norman; and sister, June and her husband, Art.

The family would like to thank Mat-Su Regional Hospital and hospice workers for their wonderful care and all of Laura’s great friends and family for their love and support.

Arrangements were by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory. An obituary and guestbook are online at alaskanfuneral.com.