LARAINE P. LINDSTROM, 82

Arlington native Laraine P. Lindstrom, 82, of Sonora, Calif., died May 3, 2010, at a Sonora care home from complications from ovarian cancer.

A memorial service in Sonora will be held at a later date.

Laraine “Lindy” Pearl Smith was born Jan. 31, 1928, on a farm in Arlington to Harold and Emma Smith. She attended school in a one-roo, schoolhouse from first through eighth grade. She then moved from home to attend high school in Blair.

She attended Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, and received a full scholarship to pursue graduate studies at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. She completed her master of music degree at Eastman, then returned to Nebraska to marry California native John Lindstrom.

After her husband completed his undergraduate degree at Midland, they moved to California where Mr. Lindstrom entered Pacific Lutheran Seminary and completed his master of divinity degree. The couple divorced inj 1966.

Mrs. Lindstrom taught at Berkeley High School, then moved to Sonora in 1969, where she devoted herself to teaching Tuolumne County students.

She was the head of the performing arts department at Sonora High School from 1969 to 1983, and was a pioneer for the performing arts in Tuolumne County. After 1983, she continued teaching and subsequently, substitute teaching in Sonora and the Bay area, including high schools in Contra Costa County. For many years, she was also the head of her own performing arts studio in Alameda. Her last role as a substitute teacher was at Sonora High School in May of 2009.

She is survived by her son, John “Mark” Lindstrom of Sonora; daughter and son-in-law, Lise Lindstrom and David Krueger of Bloomington, Ind.; and brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Vern and Mary Smith of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Memorials are suggested to 20100 Cedar Road North, Sonora, CA, 95370.