07/18/2026

Constance "Connie" LaRene LeSourd Obituary

Constance LaRene “Connie” (Anderson) LeSourd passed away Saturday, July 11, 2026 at her home surrounded by her family, dogs, horses, flowers and her favorite Oak tree. Connie was born on August 26, 1960, in Mount Vernon, WA to LeRoy and Tunie (Hay) Anderson. She was born into the loving and supportive Anderson family. She was blessed to have a very special relationship with her aunts, uncles, and cousins. She attended elementary school in Mount Vernon, junior high in Oregon and graduated from La Conner High School in 1978. While attending school in Veneta, Oregon, she began a lifelong friendship with Becky (Enyart) McDermott. Her La Conner classmates were special to her, and she had an incredible bond with Rhonda (Kendall) Huddleston and Elena Ritchie.

On August 3, 1979, she married John LeSourd and the adventure began. The couple had three children, Jeremiah, Linsey and Nathan over the next five years, making Connie a mother of three at the age of 23. She was a busy mother in the 1980’s, and still made time to be a loving aunt to her nieces and nephew. She enjoyed supporting her oldest son, by actively encouraging his love of sports, her daughter by encouraging her to do what she loved the most, and for her youngest son, she videoed every home football game and cheered him on!

She loved volunteering at the La Conner Soroptimist Thrift Shop, when it first opened, and the Vasa Lodge for many years. Connie served as bookkeeper for the Skagit Sox Legion Baseball Team and was appointed by the Governor to the Washington State Funeral and Cemetery Board. She was a member of Salem Lutheran Church. She spent her personal time enjoying gardening and canning with her husband. During her retirement she pursued knitting and made keepsakes for her family, staff and friends.

In 1989, Connie became involved in her family’s business, running Kern Funeral Home. She got her start as a receptionist and bookkeeper assisting her father, LeRoy Anderson. In 1991, she and her brother, Eric Anderson, became partners with their father in the business. She began as a quiet presence assisting the staff and evolved into a strong and caring leader. She demonstrated limitless energy in serving her community and it became her life mission. She had big shoes to fill taking over her father’s position. LeRoy was a funeral director for 57 years with a presence that reassured families and Connie achieved this with time and was always a shoulder to lean on. A funeral director must show compassion, genuine empathy and have the strength to lead during the most emotional circumstances; which came to define who she was.

A special gift was given to her by her father and she passed it on to her family: a deep respect and understanding of the Swinomish Tribal Community and their traditions. She was a beacon of hope for many tribal members and to show their love and appreciation, they honored Connie with a traditional Blanket Ceremony.

Under Connie’s leadership, her staff was more like family than employees. Everyone had to produce, but their well-being was critical. Staff she worked closely with include: Derrick Flaig, who has managed Mount Vernon Cemetery for over twenty five years, Ed Brigge was an adopted uncle, Rex Watt was a mentor and friend, Suzanne Zettle was her confidant and friend, Fran McDade was a dear friend, Daniel LaPlaunt was her supporter, Sarah Drake, Tobi Stidman, Roger Truax, Anna Jordan, Margaret Bruffy, Shawn Arizmendi, Greg Carreon, Luis Amador, and many others who had significant roles and were appreciated. The current staff of Kern Funeral Home and Mount Vernon Cemetery which includes: Son, Jeremiah LeSourd, Derrick Flaig, Daniel La Plaunt, Sara Perry, Michelle Settimo, Bob Pippel, Baldo Luna, and Julio Camacho are a special blend of compassionate and thoughtful staff that represents what she stood for.

Her family was her most important priority. John was her love, supporter and built her dream home. Jeremiah joined her at Kern, while supporting his baseball coaching career. Linsey became a hair stylist, travel companion and inspiration. Nathan joined John with Valley Concrete and was always her baby boy who made her proud while being involved in every aspect of building his home for his family. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She became a “Nana” in 2012, with the birth of two grandsons, Jeremiah John LeSourd and Jace Jeffrey Rauch. In 2015, she welcomed two granddaughters, Sienna LaRene Rauch and Leilah Brooklynn LeSourd. In 2020, grandson Nash Lee LeSourd was born and his younger brother, Lennox Scott LeSourd was born in 2025. The love and support of her grandchildren lifted her spirits when she needed it most.

She enjoyed traveling, as a child she went to Honolulu and Maui. She was blessed to visit many more times with her husband, children and grandchildren. Connie visited her daughter and grandchildren in San Diego, her grandmother Connie and cousins in Livingston, Montana, Yellowstone Park, and her cousins in Sweden and Norway with daughter Linsey and grandchildren Jace and Sienna. Further travels brought her to New Zealand; the Grand Ole Opry in Memphis, TN; Philadelphia; New York City; New Jersey; Sedona, Arizona and many fishing trips in Homer, Alaska with her husband John and family. A camping trip with her family was always enjoyable for her. She also enjoyed gill net fishing with her father as a child.

Connie is survived by her husband, John M. LeSourd; three children, Jeremiah T. LeSourd, Linsey L. Rauch and Nathan A. (Lindsay) LeSourd; 7 grandchildren, Elijah, Jeremiah, Jace, Sienna, Leilah, Nash and Lennox; brother Eric (Jane) Anderson; sister-in-law Sandy (Red) Clark; nephew Ethan and nieces, Jessica, Erica, Halei and Emily. She was preceded in death by her parents, LeRoy and Tunie Anderson; brothers Terry Roseland and Ted (Roseland) Anderson; sister-in-law Robin Roseland; uncles, Don Nelson, Lee Cox and Morris Hanson; aunts, Bernice Nelson, LaRene Cox, Betty Jo Hanson, and dear friend Elena Ritchie.

Connie had a message, “I would like to thank my caregivers, who allowed me to have my one wish, which was to pass away at home. My dear husband John, for never leaving my side; Jeremiah for taking over Kern Funeral Home; Linsey for making frequent trips from San Diego with her children to help me; Nathan for taking over Valley Concrete to allow his father the time to be with me, and installing a chair lift as well as building me a ramp that he knew would make me smile; Kelli and Andy Otis, Halei Young, Jessica Culp, Hospice, Kerri, Percy, and many more!”

The LeSourd family would like to thank you all for your support and love. Her ALS diagnosis changed the lives of everyone in the family and those who loved her. In the end, it is not what life gives you that defines you, rather our life is defined by how we respond. We chose to laugh as much as possible and enjoy today, because we are stubborn and wouldn’t do it any other way.

Visitation for Connie will be on Sunday, July 19, 2026 from 10am until 5pm and on Monday, July 20, 2026 from 10am until 5pm at Kern Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2026 at 11:00am at “The Vinery” at Christianson’s Nursey, with a reception to follow. The theme for the day is “Aloha.” Aloha is a greeting or farewell, as well as love, compassion and peace. It spoke to her and described her. Feel free to wear your most comfortable Hawaiian attire. She will be laid to rest at Mount Vernon Cemetery.