Winning ticket

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bill zimmer/west central tribune Paul Larson poses with girlfriend Sara Sneller after he proposed to her Monday using a billboard on the east end of Kerkhoven along U.S. 12.

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KERKHOVEN — There are many ways for someone to pop the question to their special someone — some propose over a fancy dinner, others near a sunset-blessed lake.

But for Officer Paul Larson of the Benson Police Department, such ideas weren’t enough. Instead, he wanted to propose to his longtime girlfriend in a way that everyone in Swift County could see … or at least anyone traveling east through Kerkhoven on U.S. 12.

With the assistance of a Willmar jewelry store, Larson proposed Monday to Sara Sneller by using a billboard with a “Will you marry me?” message on it.

“I was pretty sure you were onto me,” Larson said to Sneller, who said “yes” when Larson got down on one knee near the billboard.

“I didn’t see it coming,” said Sneller, a paraprofessional with Benson Public Schools.

Larson said Sneller almost missed the billboard when the two were driving through Kerkhoven because she was applying makeup. The couple was driving to Willmar for dinner.

When she finished, she looked to her right and saw the couple’s picture and the words “My best friend, grow old with me. Will you marry me?”

After the proposal, Larson and Sneller were greeted by their parents, Gordon and Diane Larson of Litchfield and Arlyn and Karen Sneller of Luverne. The Snellers drove 2½ hours for the surprise proposal.

“She will owe us big time” for the drive, Arlyn Sneller joked. Arlyn said the billboard idea was a “step out of the box” for Larson because he doesn’t draw attention to himself.

The billboard Larson used for the proposal is one used by Elmquist Jewelers in Willmar. Larson said he wanted to use the Kerkhoven billboard because every time the couple drove by it, Sneller would point to one of the engagement rings displayed and say “those are pretty.”

Karen Thibault of Elmquist Jewelers said Larson purchased a ring a few months ago before requesting to use the billboard. Thibault said the jewelry store called the billboard company to change the message.

“We (Elmquist Jewelers) always ask ‘how are you going to do this,’” Thibault said. “… But not everyone is willing to go through the time and effort for a proposal like this.”

The billboard design was finished at 3:30 p.m. Monday to prevent any spoiling of the surprise, Larson said. He even changed Sneller’s cell phone batteries so that her phone would go dead, preventing any friends from blemishing the proposal.

According to the parents, the couple met about six years ago while attending Alexandria Technical College.

Diane Larson recalled when she first met Sara and how she immediately helped with cleaning dishes after a family meal.

“I said ‘God girl, where did you come from? You’re perfect,’” Diane said. “I wanted (Paul) to give her a ring right there.”

Gordon Larson said Sneller’s engagement ring also has sentimental value because the stone used in the ring is from the wedding ring of Paul’s great-grandmother.

Tags: news, proposal, billboard, benson, police, swiftcounty, paullarson, sarasneller