Margaret Jean "Peg" Larson

Margaret "Peg" (Slaybaugh) Larson, 92, passed away on October 28, 2025, at her residence at Holy Cross Village, Notre Dame, Indiana.
Mrs. Larson lived for 60 years, from 1963 until 2023, in her home which she and her first husband, Thomas Clarke, built on the St. Joseph River south of Niles, Michigan. There she raised four daughters from her marriage to Mr. Clarke, leading 4H classes in sewing and dancing, and taking her daughters to piano lessons, 4H riding lessons and softball practice. Mrs. Larson made her mark on the community as an effective and organized leader of multiple civic and arts organizations. She became president or chair of nearly every organization she joined, including the Niles Garden Club, the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, the state and local Child Abuse Councils, Friends of the Snite Art Museum, the Women's League of the South Bend Symphony, Fernwood Botanical Gardens, Wednesday Club and Hoosier Art Patrons. She was also active as a member of the statewide League of Women Voters and the National Board of the Child Abuse Council.
In 1988, she married Ray B. Larson, who was her life partner with whom she travelled extensively: for example, to Irian Jaya (from which they were evacuated during a civil war), Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda to see gorillas, staying in an ice hotel in Sweden, rafting the BioBio River in Chile, travelling the Silk Road, and hiking, biking and sailing with friends from around the world. She was a gifted lecturer about her travels and left many in her audience spellbound and wanting more. Mr. Larson predeceased her in 2015.
Mrs. Larson was born Margaret Jean Slaybaugh in Yonkers, NY, where she spent her childhood. She received her A.B. as a botany major from Mount Holyoke College, graduating in 1954. Before moving to Niles, she lived on the United States Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Baltimore Maryland.
Mrs. Larson is remembered by her friends and family for her unique ability to engage people of all ages and from around the world. She was curious about the people she met and places she visited and could strike up conversations, making the other person feel special. She also had a passion for the plants she encountered during her travels and in her own gardens, which were rich and diverse.
Mrs. Larson is survived by her four daughters and their husbands, Jennifer Clarke (Alan Barstow), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Margaret Clarke (Timothy Richards), Washington, DC, Rebecca Clarke Foster (David Foster), St. Joseph, Michigan, and Amy Clarke Shaffner (Michael Shaffner), Conifer, Colorado. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren; and by Mr. Larson's five children, including Linda Witche (Ron Witche), Granger, Indiana, who was a stalwart friend until the end; and his many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
In keeping with Mrs. Larson's wishes, cremation will take place. Palmer Funeral Home-Welsheimer Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. The family will hold a memorial service at Fernwood in Buchanan, Michigan on April 25, 2026, to be followed by a private burial in August 2026.
Contributions may be made to Fernwood or the South Bend Symphony.
Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.