Funeral Mass was held on Wednesday, June 8 at 11:15 am
Transfiguration Parish Church, Wauconda, Illinois
In memory of the Mary June, George and Kathleen Larson... and the
cause they fought to make the world a safer place for you and me
Mary and George Larson adopted a daughter soon
after her birth, and when Kathy was 10 years old she attended a girl's
summer camp. She came home the first day with mosquito bites and a note
pinned to her stating not to worry, the mosquito problem would be
handled. As a result, Kathy was exposed to DDT, a pesticide that can be
fatal and has been proven to cause cancer. All people react differently
to varying amounts of chemicals. For Kathy, the reaction was severe, and
she became sensitive to all chemicals.
Mary June spent the rest of her life, caring
for Kathy, and fighting for more regulations on an unbridled chemical
industry to safegaurd human health.
As an early environmentalist, Mary June worked
for Dr Theron Randolf. She was tenacious at collecting information,
from all over the United States where chemicals caused harm to people.
She fought for regulations to protect the earth, animals and people.
Awards and Notables:
American Academy of Environmental Medicine - Carleton Lee Award,
1987 (The Carleton lee Award is given in recognition of exemplary
efforts in furthering the principles of Environmental Medicine.)
Woman's Day Magazine - Outstanding Women Award, 1987.
Cover picture and story on a AT&T Monthly employee magazine for starting one of the first organic community gardens.
Testified in US Congress sub-committee hearings and other court cases around the country.
Pushed to enact the first city ordinance requiring chemical
companies to post warning signs. That law went to court battle and the
ruling was that the local law was preempted by Illinois state law, but
all this started a revolution in re-thinking the impact of chemicals and
for companies to use less-dangerous ones around homes and communities.
(see Right To Know article below for more info)
VIDEO BELOW: A Song For Kathy and Earth Day
Please view the video (below) "A Song For
Kathy and Earth Day" written for Mary June in 1990 by her nephew, Ted
Larson, immediately after hearing the news that Kathy died on Earth Day.
The song was performed and recorded by Ted's good friends: JoAnne Avery
Neish (lead vocals and piano), Dave Nielsen (bass and vocals), Phil
Claiborne (guitar) and Traci Menicucci (background vocals). Words and
music by G. Ted Larson. c1990. Engineered in 1990 by Bill Hare (just won
a grammy this year!)
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Pesticide Public Policy Foundation vs. Village of Wauconda 510
N.E.2d 858, 117 Ill. 2d 107, 109 Ill. Dec. 790 --
The issues in this case were certified by the 7th Circuit Court
of Appeals to the Illinois Supreme Court. The court held that the
Village of Wauconda, a non-home rule unit of local government, is
empowered by the Illinois Municipal Code to enact a pesticide regulation
ordinance challenged in this litigation. However, the court held that
Wauconda's exercise of its power to enact this ordinance has been
preempted by two state statutes, namely, the Illinois Pesticide Act of
1979 and the Structural Pest Control Act.
