LARSON, Ira E. 1913-1997

LARSON, EASTMAN, VEIT

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 4/11/2010 at 21:51:53

Item #1:

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - Ira E. Larson, 83, of 358 Garden Dr. SE, died of cancer Wednesday, Jan. 22, 1997, in his home. Services: 1 p.m. Saturday, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, with military rites. The Rev. Lloyd Brockmeyer will officiate. Additional services: 1 p.m. Sunday, Lansing United Methodist Church, by the Rev. Tom Madson. Burial: Oak Hill Cemetery, rural Lansing. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Cedar Memorial Funeral Home, after noon Saturday at the church in Cedar Rapids and after noon Sunday at the church in Lansing.

Survivors include his wife, Doris; two daughters, Greer Fry and husband Richard of Cedar Rapids and Solveig Smith and husband Mark of Boise, Idaho; four sons, Lars and wife Jean of Fairfax Station, Virginia, Peter and wife Kristen of Cedar Rapids, John and wife Celeste of Piano, Texas, and Sven and wife Carol of Cedar Rapids; a sister, Eleanor Deutsch and husband Robert of Bethesda, Maryland; 17 grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Ira was born October Ira was born on October 8, 1913, in Allamakee County, Iowa, to Edward "Eddie" and Ella Eastman Larson. He received his education in Lansing area schools and was a 1936 graduate of Luther College. He pursued additional studies at the University of Iowa and received his master's in administration in 1939 and education specialist degree in 1969. He married Doris E. Veit on Sept. 30, 1944, in Shreveport, Louisiana. They had been classmates since the third grade and were high school sweethearts.

He served his country proudly and with distinction in World War II with the 8th Armored Division, U.S. Army serving in the European Theater of operations. He continued his military career until 1973, retiring at the rank of colonel. He was an active member of the Reserve Officers Association, Linn County Chapter.

He devoted his working career to education, accepting positions with school systems in Randalia, West Branch and Osage, Iowa. He served as county superintendent of schools for Mitchell County, 1956-1962; assistant county superintendent of schools for Linn County, 1962-1963; county superintendent of schools for Linn County, 1963-1968; assistant superintendent of Joint County Schools of Cedar, Johnson, Linn and Washington counties, 1968-1970; assistant superintendent of Kirkwood Community College, 1970-1977; and interim superintendent of Kirkwood Community College, 1977-1978. He retired from Kirkwood Community College on Sept. 30, 1978, and was later given the permanent honor of Assistant Superintendent Emeritus.

He was a 50-year member of Osage Masonic Lodge and a member or St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Following retirement, he gave his time unselfishly, serving on numerous church and community boards, committees and task forces at the state and local level.

He volunteered countless hours, drove many miles, performed numerous good neighbor deeds and was always concerned and involved in the well-being of others. In 1986, he received the Outstanding Senior Citizen Award for his community volunteer work through his involvement with the Heritage Agency on Aging.

In 1988, he received the American Association of Educational Service Agencies Award for "outstanding support of educational service agencies." This award recognized his pioneering work in helping to establish regional service agencies, now called Area Education Agencies.

His legacy is one of faith, courage, optimism, understanding and love. He will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Military honors will be conducted by the Linn County Reserve Officers Association.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Hospice of Mercy, St. Luke's Hospice, The Kirkwood Foundation - The Ira E. Larson Fine Arts Scholarship Fund or St. Paul's United Methodist Church.

[Cedar Rapids Gazette, Friday, January 4, 1997)

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ITEM #2:

Ira Larson dies; was a driving force for community colleges.

Ira Larson, who played a key role in the creation of Kirkwood Community College, died at his Cedar Rapids home Wednesday of colon cancer.

Larson, 83, helped push for the formation of community colleges and served as assistant superintendent at Kirkwood from July 1970 to September 1978.

After the death of Selby Ballantyne in 1977, he served as interim superintendent before retiring in fall 1978. After that, he volunteered in numerous state and local efforts, many concerning senior citizen issues.

Kirkwood President Norm Nielsen said Larson was possibly the single greatest contributor to the formation of both the joint county school and community college system.

"He was one of Kirkwood's builders and dreamers and until his death remained as one of Kirkwood's most loyal friends and supporters," Nielsen said.

A former teacher and principal, Larson also served as superintendent in Mitchell and Linn counties.

[The Cedar Rapids Gazette: Thursday, January 23,1997]

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#3:

Ira E. Larson officially became Linn County superintendent of schools Wednesday night after taking the oath of office at a meeting of the county board of education.

A former teacher, high school principal and county superintendent, Larson has been an educator since 1936. He began teaching that year at Randalia high school after graduation from Luther college. In 1937 he moved to West Branch high school. He was :here for two years and in 1939 he took a position in the Osage high school.

He enlisted in the army in 1941 and served for six years, mostly in the European theater.

He returned to the education field in 1947 when he became principal of the Osage High School.

After nine years there, he became Mitchell County Superintendent of Schools at Osage. He held the position until he came to Linn County last year.

In addition to his bachelor of arts degree from Luther college, Larson earned a master's degree from the Stale University of Iowa in 1939. He has taken additional graduate studies at SUI, Iowa State University and Columbia Teachers' college in New York.

He was born at Lansing and married a girl from his home town.

The Larsons have six children, Lars Erik, 16, Greer, 15, Peter, 14, John, 12, Solveig, 10, and Sven, 9.

Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 15, 1963]

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#4:

The Social Security Death Index says:

IRA E. LARSON was born on 08 Oct 1913 and died on 21 Jan 1997; (Verified), residing at ZIP code 52403 (Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa); SSN 482-30-2563 issued in Iowa.

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#5:

PHOTO--
From the 1949 Osage school annual.

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