ANNA EARLENE CASPERSEN April 24, 1942 – May 6, 2025
Anna Earlene Caspersen, née Earlene Owen Jones, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2025, in Huntington Beach, CA. Anna had a wonderful gift for communicating with both music and words and for serving as a gracious and generous hostess throughout her life. She was fiercely curious, a lifelong learner, a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction books, and always eager to share her knowledge and faith with those around her.
Anna maintained an enduring commitment to her community, whether as an elementary school teacher in her younger years, a volunteer with the Santa Fe Co-Op and the Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center in the 1970’s, Phi Beta Kappa, Rotary International, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in the choir and as a deacon, the White Rock Welcome Center, or as a Realtor helping families find or build homes. She served as Editor for the weekly newspaper “The Chronicle” in the 1980’s, and she hosted a weekly radio program on KRSN.
In the 1990’s, Anna and her beloved husband, Roland, opened their residence in La Senda as Castillo del Alba Bed & Breakfast, in the home they designed and built in White Rock. The couple was grateful for the opportunity to engage with the many interesting and intellectually-stimulating people who travelled through Los Alamos. They hosted scientists, engineers and contractors from all over the world, CEOs, international exchange students, foreign religious missionaries and clergy, Santa Fe Opera Guild events, weddings, political fundraisers, and warm family gatherings.
Anna touched so many individuals and warmly enriched the lives of all those who knew and loved her.
She was born Anna Earlene Owen on April 24, 1942, in Denison, TX, to Anna Lois Owen, nee Smith, and Earl Monroe Owen, who was serving in WWII at the time. After the war, Anna’s parents divorced and her mother remarried to Emmet Clifton Jones in 1946. The family moved to Borger, TX where Anna grew up with her sisters, Paula Jane and Lisa Kay. She was active in Bunavista Baptist Church, sang in the church choir and was a Girl Scout.
Anna performed and competed in choral events, including All-Regional Choir and went to the Texas State Choir Competition. She graduated from Borger High School in 1960 and attended Frank Phillips Junior College, earning a scholarship for Voice & Piano to attend West Texas State University in College Station, Texas (now Texas A&M) where she studied to be a teacher, was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and the rifle team. She graduated and began her teaching career in Hereford, TX.
In 1964, she was offered a teaching position in Los Alamos, NM, and relocated to the town she would call home for nearly 60 years. She taught at Canyon Elementary and Piñon Elementary teaching Kindergarten and 4th grade.
In 1965, she married Ralph Leon Marsh, who grew up in Los Alamos. The couple lived and worked in Albuquerque and Santa Fe for a few years and had two daughters, Julie Marie and Holly Joanna. They returned to Los Alamos in 1974. Ralph worked at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (now Los Alamos National Laboratory) and Anna started a party-hosting business, Plants-n-Things, while she earned her Real Estate credentials. She began selling Real Estate full time and the family moved to White Rock. The couple remained together until 1982.
In 1984, Anna remarried to Roland Caspersen, a contractor and builder, who shared her sense of humor and love of travel and entertaining. Together Anna and Roland would design and/or build over half a dozen beautiful custom homes in Los Alamos and White Rock, and remodel countless others. They were enthusiastic patrons of the Santa Fe Opera and enjoyed trips to New York City, where Roland had grown up, to see Broadway shows, opera, and live jazz performances. They made several trips to Europe together, including trips to Norway, which was Roland’s country of birth. They also travelled to Germany, where they visited Martin Luther’s home, as well as touring in France and Italy.
After Roland passed away in 2021, Anna remained in White Rock until she relocated to Southern California to be nearer to her daughters and grandchildren. She easily made friends in her new community of Huntington Beach, CA, with her wit and warmth, by sharing stories and wisdom.
Anna is deeply missed by the many people who meant so much to her.
Anna is survived by sisters Paula Jane Teuton of Borger, TX, Lisa Kay Ridling of Houston, TX, Sharon Allard of McKinney, TX; daughter Julie M. Marsh and son-in-law Allan D. Hysinger of Huntington Beach, CA, and Holly J. Marsh Riley & son-in-law Ford Riley of Glendale, CA; step-sons Jason Caspersen, Alistair Caspersen, Alec Caspersen; grandchildren Fiona M. Riley, Quinn P. Riley, and Emily L. Hysinger; Step-Grandson Logan Caspersen; Nephews Stewart Chase Gwen of Texas, David H.C. Teuton of Canyon, TX, and John Ridling of Texas.
Anna was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 36 years, Roland Caspersen, sister Cheryl née Owen, step-son Christian Caspersen, and ex-husband, Ralph L. Marsh.
Services will be held on June 28, 2025, at 10 AM at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2390 North Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Service will be live-streamed via Zoom. For the link, please send an email ATTN: Jen office@bethluth.com at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations for new hymnals for the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Choir & pews at the church office, or online at https://bethluth.360unite.com/give; or donations to The Autism Community in Action at https://tacanow.org/donate.