Louise Alma Small

Louise Alma

SMALL

She held us for a while in her arms. We hold her forever in our hearts. Louise Alma Small—beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother, mother-in-law, aunt, and true friend of many—has passed from among us the living on February 6th, 2008, in Reno, Nevada. The body that carried her great spirit, the body with which she served us all for so long and with so much love, finally could no longer serve her. She was born Louise Alma Brommer on March 4th, 1914, in Medford, Oregon, to Clara and Carl Brommer. Her only sibling was Ms. Freddie Klein, now deceased. Louise attended Oregon State University, where she was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and where she met and then married Arthur R. Small of Portland, Oregon.

With her husband and family, she moved from Portland, Oregon, to Reno in 1952. After her husband's death in 1957, she worked at the Washoe County Library, from which she retired after ten years service. Louise liked to read and to garden. She knew the value of a fat red tomato and of an opening rose bud. She enjoyed square dancing when her legs were younger, and in recent years she loved playing bridge with her friends. She was a world-class mother and a passionate grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother, never forgetting a birthday and always sincerely interested in everything everybody in her large family was doing. She loved life and gave it to us and taught us how to use life well for others and for ourselves and for the benefit of the world. And best of all, she loved us ... each of us individually <$> unconditionally. She was one of a kind, and she cannot be replaced.

Surviving Louise are her four children, Patty France of Reno; Alice Munley of Pueblo West, CO; Mary Davidson of Portland, OR; and Jerry Small of Los Angeles, CA. She has 13 grandchildren: Jordan, Bryan, Mickey, Chris, Patrick, Katie, Tim, Stephanie, Jennifer, Jerry (deceased in 1994), Monica, Eric and Nick; 17 great grandchildren: Alicia, Jake, Sarah, Jared, Abby, Kiely, Klaire, Dylan, Lea, Anders, Tyler, Alex, Carter, Emilie, Nicholas, Liam and Isabella; and 2 great great grandchildren: Olivia and Ella.

A memorial mass is scheduled for 11a.m., Monday, February 11, 2008 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church. Private inurnment will be held later at Mountain View Cemetery, Reno. We invite you to send a condolence message in the family guestbook at www.waltonsfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 North Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105.

Her candle goes out.

But her flame has lit so many candles.

And they still burn with a beautiful light.