Ronald Earl Larson

Ronald Earl Larson of Chaska died in the early hours of December 26 at the Minnesota Valley Health Center in Le Sueur. He fought and licked serious spine and heart problems in his last seven years but succumbed to COPD caused by 60 years of smoking. Ron was born in 1933 to Thomas and Florence (Stecker) Larson in Cannon Falls, where he attended school through the 11th grade, later getting his GED. In his teens, he traveled the Plains and the western US, working in wheat and oil fields. Later, he worked as a long-haul truck driver for more than 30 years. In 1963, he married Jean (Lorentz), his wife of nearly 55 years. They wed twice that year in San Francisco, once before a justice of the peace and once in St. Paul's Catholic Church, which 30 years later was the site of filming for Sister Act. They had three children, Brian (Robert Tendal) of Atlanta, Shannon (Tom) Bauleke of Le Sueur, and Aaron of Duluth. They remember him, among other things, for his dramatic dance interpretation of Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King"- clad only in boxer shorts and wielding a broom in the family living room. He reveled in the joys of his kids, especially Shannon's recent marriage. Ron liked off-color jokes and was not above cheating at cards. He is preceded in death by his parents and six of his siblings. He is survived by siblings Gordon (Ann), Clarise (George) Rapp, Richard, and Sharon Johnson, his wife and children, numerous other relations, and family dog Gus, who will miss the morsels that often fell, inadvertently or not, at Ron's end of the table. The family will hold a brief service for family and close friends on Jan. 2, 2016, at 10:30, Kolden Funeral Services, 529 Turril St, Le Sueur 56058, 507-665-2226 with Pastor Kathleen Lowery officiating. They will schedule a celebration of life, which is what Ron really wanted, in spring 2017.