Elma May Johnson was born Dec. 10, 1876 near Ashland, Nebr. She was the oldest of the five children of Geo S. Johnson and his wife, Marilla Soward Johnson.

When Elma was a year or so old, the family moved onto a farm near Cambridge, Nebr., where they lived for ten years. Then they returned to Cass county to a farm near Ashland. In the spring of 1893 they moved over into Sarpy county near Gretna.

Elma finished Ashland high school and attended the Weeping Water academy to prepare herself to teach. She taught a rural school east of Ashland for the school year 1898 and 99.

In May 1899 she moved to Lincoln county and took up a homestead in her own name. There she lived for the next five years. During this time she became acquainted with Stephen LaRue and became his wife January 1, 1901. They lived on the homestead near Sutherland until 1904, when they moved to the farm 6 miles north of Ingham. In March 1918 they moved to the farm three miles east of Curtis that has since been their home.

Mrs. LaRue had joined the M.E. church at Ashland. After the Rose evangelistic meetings in Curtis she had her letter transferred and joined the First Congregational church.

In 1922 Mrs. LaRue joined the Royal Neighbors of Curtis of which organization she remained an unusually faithful member. She was well liked by her neighbors. She loved her family and planned and worked gladly for them. It was her special desire to have her children well educated. The six older ones all graduated from the Nebraska School of Agriculture in Curtis. The three younger ones are now attending that school.

For some time past the subject of this sketch had experienced acute digestive trouble. The Mayo Bros. of Rochester, Minn. last October diagnosed it as gastric ulceration. They prescribed treatment appropriate. It was while Mr. LaRue was with his wife at the Mayo Bros. that he suddenly passed away Nov. 3, 1929.

Since then Mrs. LaRue divided her time between her home east of Curtis and that of her brother, Ivan Johnson at Sutherland, Nebr. She was gradually weakened until she was taken to the Platte Valley hospital last Saturday at North Platte. Blood transfusion was resorted to prepare her for an operation but even that was beyond her strength and she died at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, February 16, 1930 at the age of 53 years, 2 months and 6 days. She now rests from her anxiety and body affliction and who would have it otherwise? Divine providence loves and makes no mistakes.

A brother, Willis Johnson, preceded Mrs. LaRue to the other world, when he was but eight years of age. Her parents of Hood River, Oregon, survive her; so do her two sisters, Mrs. J. D. Dixon and Mrs. Emory Dikeman, both of Hood River, Oregon and one brother, Ivan Johnson, of Sutherland, Nebr. The nine LaRue children who now mourn the loss of father and mother in the last three and a half months are: Edith (Mrs. John Guignard), Hood River, Ore.; Clarence of Verdigre, Nebr.; Clara of Curtis; Ethel, Hood River, Ore.; Louis of Curtis; Floro, State university hospital, Omaha; Geneva, Mary and John, of Curtis.

Dr. R. K. Schwab conducted the funeral services in the First Congregational church at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, February 19. The Royal Neighbors had charge of interment beside her husband in the Curtis cemetery.

The Farnam Echo 43(17):1 Thursday February 27, 1930