Darlene Larson

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 1:00 pm

Darlene A. Larson, age 89, of Decorah, died Tuesday morning, Sept. 8, 2020 at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah.  

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 at Phelps Cemetery in Decorah with Pastor Don Holmertz officiating.Visitation began at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Phelps Cemetery, one hour before the service.Darlene Alice (Gregg) Larson was born March 14, 1931 in Lake City, IA, the daughter of Paul and Irma (Brown) Gregg.

She attended country school through eighth grade in Lake Creek and Twin Lakes townships and then graduated from Rockwell City High School in Rockwell City, IA with the class of 1949. Following graduation, she was employed in the Calhoun County Treasurer’s office.Dar was united in marriage to Bernard H. Larson Oct. 29, 1950 at Woodlawn Church of Christ in Lake City, IA. They met on a blind date and were married for 70 years.  They were blessed with two children: B. Kent and Brent G.  Darlene and Bernard lived on the Larson home farm for nine years and then moved to a farm in southeast Minnesota in rural Mabel in 1968, their dream come true. Darlene was a church organist and pianist for 52 years. She taught herself how to read music. She organized a teenage girls’ choir from the Newburg, Minn., United Methodist Church called “The Newburgettes.”  She was also Bernard’s helper in the fields and livestock program, which consisted of a cow/calf operation. When they decided to retire from farming, she worked as a Home Health Aide and was also employed at Mac’s Café in Mabel, MN.  In 2005, they left the farm and moved to Decorah, Iowa, then to Vennehjem in Decorah and then to Arlin Falk Assisted Living. She became a resident of Aase Haugen Home in June 2019. Darlene died Tuesday morning, September 8, 2020 at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah at the age of 89. She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Irma Gregg; Her father- and mother-in-law, Herbert and Elizabeth Larson; her sister, Marianne Anderson; her brother, Leonard; her nephew, Jeff Gregg; her nieces, Doreen Counsell and Dawn Kelly; her sister-in-law, Frances Latnz; and her brothers-in-law, Earl Waters and Horace Lantz.Darlene is survived by her husband, Bernard; her sons: B. Kent of Stewartville, Minn., and Brent (Joyce) of Rochester, Minn.; 9 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; two sisters: Pauline Walters of Lake City, and Doris (Lawrence) Fell of Isanti, Minn.; one sister-in-law, Shirley Gregg of Algona; and her nieces and nephews.Pallbearers were David Larson, Gilbert, Ariz., Tilman Larson, Harrisburg, Penn., Kellene (Larson) Lyman, Lee’s Summit, Mo., Erik Larson, San Tan Valley, Ariz., Benjamin Larson, Seattle, Wash., Jeremy Larson, Camp Humphreys-US Army, South Korea, Darrol Larson, St. Charles, Minn., Anya (Larson) Kendrick, San Antonio, Tex., and Garrett South, Chaska, Minn. Honorary pallbearers were J. Tait Larson, Eagle Mountain, Utah (currently deployed to Afghanistan-US Army) and Tobias Schmidt, Nelson, New Zealand.Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.fjelstul.com