Larry L. Larsen

Larry Lee Larsen was born in Roberts County, SD to Emil and Mildred (Chapin) Larsen. He grew up with his six siblings, Arnold, Roy, Irene, Delores, Don, and Jerry on the family farm in Wilmot, SD where he graduated from Wilmot High School. Larry began building a life-long partnership at age 15 with Joanne Temple when he offered her a ride home from church choir practice. Larry proposed to Joanne on July 3, 1959. They were married on May 29th, 1960, at Wilmot Lutheran Church. They moved to Moorhead, Minnesota where Larry attended Concordia College. Larry graduated from Concordia in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts. Following graduation, they moved to Sisseton, SD, where Larry began his teaching career. Larry continued his education eventually earning a Master of Science from Mankato State University. When in 1968, his career offered an opportunity in Rochester, Minnesota, they moved there with their three children. Two more sons came soon after. While raising his family in Rochester as a loving husband and father to his five children: Paul, Mary Jo, Mark, Steve, and Dan, Larry was always very active in the community. He was committed to service and provided his leadership and support in many areas within the community. He made an impact in more areas than we can probably list, but it included service and participation in various organizations such as serving on the Jaycees, coaching youth baseball teams, supporting youth wrestling clubs and high school booster clubs, helping establish Rochester's sister city program with Moosburg Germany, and being active in the church among many other activities. Larry's faith ran deep. In 1979, Larry and Joanne learned of a mission church forming and became founding members of Hosanna Lutheran Church. Larry and Joanne both worked as a team, building Hosanna's Stephen Ministry, writing devotions, singing in the church choir, and serving in leadership positions with the church over the years that followed. While serving as a teacher in Rochester, Larry and a colleague created a couple of opportunities to travel to Europe with their students over the summer. The trips were meant to be an adventure, but also to provide an educational experience to the students that joined them. These initial two trips were transformational to Larry's lifelong outlook and led him to take the entrepreneurial leap of faith to leave his teaching career and begin a tour operation business focused on educational and religious travel. Over the following 40 plus years, despite the economical and other challenges of the travel business, Larry remained committed to providing customized experiences to thousands of students, church and other travel groups. He guided many of these trips himself, and his travels took him to over 40 countries across the globe prior to his retirement from Ed-Ventures, Inc. in 2018. Larry's vision to make connections between people and provide education through travel impacted thousands of people all over the world. This legacy continues forward as Ed-Ventures continues its mission of service and education through travel. Larry embarked on one last trip from earth on the morning of April 6, 2022, with his children at his side. He now rejoins Joanne (Mom) in heaven, back together again to add on to the 60 plus years they spent together here on earth. Although Larry impacted so many people through his service and actions during his lifetime, many people will remember him for his gentleness and caring and for the simple things he did such as sharing smiles, hugs, and kind words with friends and strangers alike. We will miss him tremendously, but we have the contentment knowing that we will forever hold him in our hearts. His travelling won't stop as we will carry him with us and share our travels with him every time each one of us heads out for a new experience. And we know that our mom will forever be with us as well by his side. Larry joins his wife Joanne and his parents in Heaven. Larry was also preceded in death by his brothers Arnold Larsen, Emil LeRoy "Roy" Larsen, sister Irene Ellsworth, brothers-in-law Robert Ellsworth, Donald Ward, and Ross Temple and sisters-in-law Phyllis Larsen and Helen Larsen. He is survived by his children Paul (Lynn) Larsen, Mary Jo (Randy) Prinsen, Mark (Shannon) Larsen, Steve (Jennifer) Larsen, and Dan (Donna) Larsen who all reside within an hour of Rochester, grandchildren Curtis (Karina) Larsen, Scott Larsen (Sarah Stephenson), Steven (Jessie) Larsen, Laura (Jason) Ruiz, Robert (Katie) Prinsen, Ryan (Caitlin) Prinsen, Miranda Prinsen, Michael (Kalley) Eggert-Larsen, Caitlin Larsen, Chance Larsen, Grace Larsen, Jared Larsen, Hannah Larsen, Nicholas Larsen; 9 great grandchildren with a 10th on the way; sister Delores Ward; brothers Don Larsen and Jerry (Jeanette) Larsen; brother-in-law Curtis (Joyce) Temple and many nieces, nephews and other extended family. Funeral services will be held at Hosanna Lutheran Church, 2815 57th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901 on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 1:00 pm. Those who cannot attend may watch it live streamed via the Ranfranz and Vine Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Ranfranzandvine/ Visitation with family will occur along with lunch immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Bundles of Love Charity, Hosanna Lutheran Church, Concordia College Moorhead, or a charity of your choice.