Lewis Larson (1885-1961) & Mary (Nelson) Larson (1886-1961)

LARSON, NELSON, MCATEE, BERNS, SILLS, EDGE

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/13/2014 at 18:42:22

From unknown newspaper March 17, 1961

An elderly Nevada couple were found shot to death early today. The deaths were ruled murder and suicide by Dr. K. S. Sun, Story County medical examiner.

The bodies of Lew Larson, 75, and his estranged wife, Mary, 75, were discovered in Mrs. Larson's home shortly after 3 a. m. today by a neighbor.

Shotgun

Story County Sheriff Ivan Shalley said the cause of death in both cases was a blast from a shotgun, believed to have belonged to Larson.

Shalley said Mrs. Larson had started divorce proceedings against her husband and that he had been liveing at another residence in Nevada pending a restraining order.

The sheriff said Larson had told friends his wife would never get a divorce from him.

Shalley said the probable time of the murder-suicide was between 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday.

A relative was at Mrs. Larson's home at about 7 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., Mrs. Henry Erickson phoned Mrs. Larson and geto no answer. Mrs. Erickson awakened about 2:30 a.m. today, saw the lights on and called twice more. Receiving no answer, the went to the Larson home to investigate and discovered the couple.

Mrs. Erickson called Nevada police, who notified the Sheriff.

Set Services

Private funeral services for the couple will be held from the Ryan funeral home Monday. Burial will be in the Nevada municipal cemetery.

Survivors include two son, Clifford of Nevada, and Alvin, of Sun Valley, Calif.; four daughters, Mrs. Bessie M. McAttee of Nevada, Mrs. Lillian Berns and Mrs. Ethel Sills of Sun Valley, Calif. and Mrs. Isabelle Edge, Bosbalos, Calif.

Mrs. Larson is also survived by two brothers and two sisters. She was preceded in death by an infant child, one brother and one sister.