Loretta Larson, died Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at her rural Dawson home at the age of 86 with all of her family by her side.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 30, 2015 at 11:00 AM at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church of Baxter, rural Montevideo. Vicar Matt Danielson will officiate and interment will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, from 5-7:00 PM at the Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson with a prayer service at 7:00 PM. There will also be visitation at the church for one hour before the service.
Loretta J. Larson was born February 27, 1929 to Ludvig and Nettie (Olson) Halvorson in Madison. She was baptized March 29, 1929 and confirmed on May 16, 1943 at Ness Lutheran Church in Madison. She attended country school # 28, Dawson and graduated from Madison in 1947. She worked for Judge Slen as a legal secretary. On March 6, 1949 she was united in marriage to James O. Larson at Ness Lutheran Church in Madison. They lived and farmed together in Providence and Madison Townships before moving to Baxter Township in 1954. In 1962 they bought their first farm and together started their crop and dairy farm, and the home for their growing family. She became a member of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church of Baxter where she attended bible study regularly. Loretta's interests included spending time with grandchildren, gardening and her flowers, and loved watching football games. On Tuesdays for many years she met her brothers and families to have coffee in Dawson. In later years she loved spending winters in Mesa, AZ. with their old friends from Minnesota and new friends from Arizona.
She is survived by her daughter, Charlene (Steve) Mertens of Quilcene, WA; three sons: Rodney (Nancy) Larson of Boyd, Bradley (Evangelyn) Larson of Sherburn, MN, and Dean (Karen) Larson of Appleton, MN; 35 grandchildren; 21 great-granchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Perceding her in death were her parents; a son, Craig Larson in 1997; husband, James O. in 2013; two brothers: Clayton and Odell Halvorson.