Ansta Florence

Ansta Margaret Blackner Florence

MORGAN - Born November 7, 1913 in Lyman Wy. The daughter of Franklin Orson Blackner and Mary Margart Syme. She died December 17, 2007 at the Washington Terrace Health Care Facility. After a fall November 2, 2007 at her home.

She has one sister, Beth Christensen. Their mother died, in 1918, along with the baby from complications in childbirth and from the great flu epidemic.

When their father re-married, they were separated and raised by their mother's sisters. Bessie S. Jesperson raised Ansta, and her cousins became her brothers and sisters. They include Thomas J. Stewart of Ogden; Wes Wilson of Evanston, Wy; and Dorothy Gray of Randolph, Ut.

When Ansta was 14, they moved from their small town of Lyman, Wy to Ogden, Ut. For Ansta, it was quite an adjustment. Soon after she was given the choice of either going to school or work- ing, she went to work coring cab- bage, and it was said that she could do more than any man there could do. In 1932, Ansta married Marvin Lee. They had three children: Marlene Lee, she died in 1937: Kathleen (Dee) Preece of Morgan and Judy (Roy) Baugh of Morgan. She and her husband later divorced, and she continued to live with her former in-laws, working at Stuart's CafAC. and the Hotel. She also cleaned houses. On November 18, 1949, she met and then married the love of her life Arthur Florence. They were later sealed in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on June 2, 1965. He was a great blessing not only to Ansta, but also to Kathleen and Judy. They resided in Porterville, Ut.

Ansta was in MIA for several years, and she and Arthur headed a ward temple team and went to the Ogden Temple twice a week for many years. They also worked very hard, side-by-side on their farm.

During her life with Arthur, Ansta worked in J. Williams and Son's store as a clerk and retired from there. She enjoyed working and visiting with the public very much. She has worked hard all of her life and always paid her own way wherever she has been. Because of her hard work, her family believes that's where she gets her spunk, and you have also never had to wonder where you stood with her on anything!

When Ansta's first grandchild was born, she would read Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes to her, very soon her granddaughter named her "Granny Goose". She is still known to all of her grandchildren, family, and their friends as "Granny Goose". It is said that the granddaughter who named her, and many others since then, did not know that her last name was Florence until they were in high school.

She is survived by her children, Kathleen (Dee) Preece, Judy (Roy) Baugh, 8 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, 9 great great grandchildren, 1 on the way. She also has 3 step great grandsons, 6 great great grandchildren and a sister Beth Christensen.

She was preceded in death by her husband Arthur, a daughter Marlene and a grandson.

As a family we would like to thank the personnel from Hearts for Hospice for their loving and tender care of Ansta, especially Stacie, Jeannie, Jan and Karla. Stacie was a special Angel to Granny Goose!

Funeral services will be held Saturday December 22, 2007 12 noon in the Porterville LDS Church. Friends may call at the Walker Mortuary in Morgan on Friday, December 21, 2007 from 6 to 8 pm and Saturday at the Porterville Church prior to services from 10:45 to 11:45 am.

Interment at South Morgan Cemetery.