Elaine Larson, 1937-2014

Published 6:00 am Sunday, July 20, 2014

Funeral services for Elaine Joyce Larson, 77 of Alden, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Alden. The Rev. Greg Ofsdahl will officiate. Burial will be at the Alden Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the services at the church. Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Elaine died Thursday, July 17, 2014, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester.

Elaine Larson

Elaine Joyce Larson was born on May 3, 1937, in Alden, the daughter of Ernest and Gertrude (Greenfield) Hensche. She attended and graduated from Alden High School. On Jan. 13, 1957, she was united in marriage to Norman Larson at the Concordia Pickerel Lake Lutheran Church. Elaine worked at various locations during her career as a secretary and bookkeeper: Queen Stoves, Alden School District, the Salvation Army and Christ Episcopal Church. Along with those responsibilities she worked on the farm with Norman and in his trucking business. She took great pride in doing volunteer work with almost any organization that would ask her. She was a member of the local REACT for over 35 years and also a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, where she was active in all aspects of the church. Elaine has lived her life making the world a better place. Her selflessness has given hope and faith to many a traveling soldier. She put her mark on this place she called home.

Elaine is survived by her husband, Norman, Alden; children Pamela (Jack) Zimmel, Sioux Falls, S.D., Jeff (Cindy) Larson, Alden, and Sheryl (Richard) Kanzenbach, Eden Prairie; grandchildren Aaron and Jordan Zimmel, Joey and Josh Larson, Cassie Kanzenbach and Amber (Chris) Clark; great-grandson Bentley Larson; sister, LeAnn Hensche, and brothers Dennis Hensche and Wayne (Karen) Hensche.

She was preceded in death by her parents.