Obituary: John Larson

John C. “Jack” Larson, age 89, of Lake Miltona, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2010, at his home.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 16, 2009, at Christ Lutheran Church, Slayton, Minnesota, with Rev. Ted Kunze officiating. Burial will be in Faith Lutheran Cemetery, Avoca, Minnesota, with full military honors.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Friday at Lind Family Funeral Home, Miltona, and continue one hour prior to the service at the church.

Arrangements are by Lind Family Funeral Service with chapels in Miltona and Parkers Prairie, www.lindfamilyfh.com.

John Charles “Jack” Larson was born Aug. 7, 1920, to Carl L. and Clara (Holmberg) Larson in Avoca. He was baptized and confirmed at Lime Lake Lutheran Church, Avoca. He grew up and attended school in Slayton, Minnesota, where he graduated from high school in 1938. He moved to San Diego, California, where he worked for Douglas Aircraft and attended Ryan School of Aeronautics. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, serving as a prisoner of war in Wesselling, Germany for six months until his escape. He received the Purple Heart with Bronze Cluster, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Medal with Cluster and recently, was awarded the POW Medal. He was united in marriage to Luella C. Brehmer Oct. 6, 1945, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Worthington. Following their marriage they moved to Brookings, South Dakota, where Jack attended South Dakota State University, graduating in 1949 with an agricultural education teaching degree. They moved to Slayton where he taught agriculture for 34 years. He received numerous awards, including District 11 Outstanding Ag Teacher in 1977 and Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 1980. He received Honorary State and American FFA Degrees, as he was instrumental in developing many innovative FFA and Vo-Ag programs. Jack was a member of the National Education Association, where he served as a classroom teacher delegate to its national convention and as Board of Directors delegate to the American Vocational Convention both in Miami, Florida. He was a member, officer and director of church, community and educational activities. He and his wife lived in Slayton until his retirement in 1982, at which time they moved to Lake Miltona. He was a member of Bethesda Lutheran Church, Alexandria, and the Slayton VFW. He was a former member of Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton, Faith Lutheran Church in Avoca, Erwin March American Legion Post and 4-H. His hobbies included model railroading, fishing, building model airplanes and wood carving.

Jack is survived by two sons, Charles (Ellen) Larson, Atlanta, Georgia, and Alan (Raquel) Larson, Sleepy Eye; sister, Elsie Sonstegaard, Paynesville, Minnesota; brother, Maynard (Viola) Larson, Fulda, Minnesota; four grandchildren, Jennifer Ann (John) Wood, Charles J. Larson Jr., Tracy Johnson and Michael Johnson; two step grandchildren, Brian (Amanda) DeSua and Christine (Michael) Renner; and six great-grandchildren, Dusten Wood, Branden Wood, Anna Wood, Cody Wood, Julio Zempoaltecatl and Giselle Zempoaltecatl.

He is preceded in death by his parents; wife Luella on Dec. 24, 2004; sister, Irene Miller; brothers, Kenneth, Walter, Alvin and Paul Larson.

Pallbearers will be Curtis Miller, Leslie Miller, James Larson, Stanley Larson, Harvey Larson and Rodney Larson. Honorary pallbearers will be Joel Wilkie, Clet Blegen, Larry Dahl and George Crompton.

Tags: john larson, obituaries

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