8/31/1945 - 7/1/2023
Carole Allis Larson, age 77, was born August 31, 1945, in Dayton, Ohio, to Harold Arthur Larson and Myra Barbara Gwyther Larson. She is survived by her dearest husband, Lowell W. Eyer, Jr; sister, Joan Larson Bader; brother, John Larson and family; sister-in-law, Julie (Mark) Anderson and niece and nephews, close friends and cousins. Carole grew up in Riverdale, North Dakota, specially built by the Corps of Engineers to house those working on the Garrison Dam. She grew up with both the town and the dam, and there was no better place to experience childhood. In 1960 her father, a structural engineer, was transferred to Omaha where Carole attended Benson High School, graduating in 1963. From there she went to Carleton College, Northfield, MN, graduating with a degree in sociology in 1967: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, graduating with a Master's degree in Teaching in 1968; the University of Oregon, Eugene, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in Asian Studies in 1975; and the University of Denver, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in Librarianship in 1977. Between degrees Carole served as a summer VISTA volunteer on Red Lake Native American reservation in northern Minnesota; taught sixth grade in St. Louis; and worked as a selection and placement officer of VISTA volunteers at the Office of Economic Opportunity VISTA office in Washington, D.C. Following library school she worked as Co-head of the Reference Department at Kearney State College (now U. of NE at Kearney) library from 1978 - 1980; campus librarian at Metropolitan Community College in Elkhorn, NE from 1980-1981; and library faculty member at Criss Library , U of Nebraska at Omaha, from 1981 - 2001. At UNO Carole served as a reference librarian specializing in law, political science, public administration, history and Black studies. She was an accomplished writer, winning the American Library Association's national Reference Service Press Award in 1995, along with a secondary author, for the best article published in RQ over a two year period. After retirement Carole volunteered for the Sierra Club, Douglas County (NE) Historical Society, and American Association of University Women. She loved the outdoors, dogs, antiques, music and reading/writing. Carole had an unusual life due to health issues but strove to live as normal a life as possible. She did quite well - had five marriage proposals, managed to have a career, and was an invited entry in Who's Who in America. She was born with an enlarged thymus which was irradiated in infancy to shrink it down because it interfered with breathing, and as a result was immediately immunocompromised and fought infections her entire life. Carole was hospitalized with infections six times, and the sixth one, viral food poisoning at age 57, was almost fatal and left her with fructose malabsorption, lactose intolerance, and visceral hypersensitivity, unable to digest sugars of any kind, dairy and wheat. In young adulthood she contracted irritant asthma, also not well understood by the medical profession but thought to be caused by toxins. Her lungs became so sensitized she got asthma from less than 100 parts per million of natural gas, for example. Her entire respiratory system became chemically sensitive. Carole thus had to live in a very controlled environment, not always possible such that she was homeless more than once even while working full time. She also had chronic fatigue syndrome in young adulthood, also not well understood by the medical profession, but managed to overcome it and continue with her career. Since her afflictions probably had a genetic component and she didn't want to deal with more than one body like hers, she decided not to have children. Her success at appearing to live a normal life was so good that some people preferred to view her physical problems as mental, and one employer even secretly subjected her to "tests" to see if she reacted. As a result, Carole learned not to share the nature of her health problems with anyone except a few select people. This obituary is her chance to let everyone know what was going on since it doesn't matter anymore. She is already gone and feeling strong.
Celebration of Carole's Life: Monday, July 24 at 1 pm, with visitation one hour prior to the service, at Braman Mortuary 72nd St. Chapel, 1702 N. 72nd St., Omaha, NE
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