Larson, Selmer E. -- 1902 - 1999

SORENSON, LARSON, NESHEIM, FRANKLIN, KRUSE, GAVLE, ORRESON, THOMPSON, PRIEBE, RAMSEY

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/11/2010 at 13:11:47

Decorah Journal, Thursday, August 19, 1999

Selmer E. Larson

Selmer E. Larson, 96, of Decorah, died Friday, Aug. 13, 1999, at the Aase Haugen Home in Decorah after a short illness.

Funeral services were held Monday, Aug. 16, at 10:30 a.m., at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with the Rev. Susan Debner officiating.

Connie Bolson was the organist. Hymns were "How Great Thou Art", "I Know of a Sleep in Jesus' Name", "Amazing Grace" and "I Know That My Redeemer Lives".

Casket bearers were Mark, Kevin and Jeffrey Sheetz, James Sheets, Steven Coulter and David Sacquitne.

Interment was at the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Cemetery. The French & Balik Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Selmer was born Sept. 12, 1902, on the Logson farm near Washington Prairie, to Martin and Anna (Sorenson) Larson. He was one of 12 children.

Baptized at Decorah Lutheran Church, Selmer was confirmed at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church May 26, 1918, where from the age of 3, he was a lifelong member.

During his eighth-grade education, he attended rural schools in Pleasant Township, Winneshiek County.

Selmer was married to Florence Nesheim Nov. 1, 1933, at the Decorah Lutheran parsonage. They became the parents of one daughter, Carolyn.

The family lives on the home farm and Selmer worked for various neighbors before being employed at the Mabel (Minn.) Feed Service beginning in 1975, at the age of 73.

Despite losing his right hand in an accident in 1962, Selmer bagged feed after grinding it -- one ton at a time, booked feed orders and took care of the records of the feed store where he worked until the age of 91.

Due to declining health, his wife Florence moved to the Aase Haugen Home in January of 1989. She died there Aug. 26, 1994.

Selmer remained at home, across from the North Winneshiek School on the David Sacquitne farm, where the couple had moved in 1975.

After falling and breaking his arm in January of 1997, Selmer stayed in Rochester, Minn., until summer, when he returned home. Another fall resulted in his own decision to move to the Aase Haugen Home.

Survivors include his daughter, Carolyn Franklin of Edina, Minn.; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; four sisters, Esther Kruse, Gladys Gavle, Ella Otteson and Arlene Thompson, all of Decorah; and two brothers, Leon Larson of Rochester Minn., and Merton Larson of Lakeland, Fla.

Selmer Larson was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Florence; two brothers, Arthur and Lloyd; and three sisters, Myrtle Priebe, Violet Ramsey and Madeline Priebe.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.