Ivan A. Larson's Obituary
Ivan Allen Larson
1923 – 2015
Obituary
Ivan Allen Larson passed away February 23rd at the age of 91. He was born
September 10, 1923 in Sidney, Montana to Isaac and Anna Larson. He is survived by his wife Eleanor, his son Ronald Larson (Linda), his daughter Janice Munson (Gary), his three grandchildren Wendy Widis (William), Joel Larson (Raissa), and Adam Munson, his four great-grandchildren Jordan & Ellie Widis, and Isaac & Micah Larson, his sister-in-law Bernadine Larson, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Isaac, his mother Anna, his brothers and their wives, Waldemar (Irene), Lovell (Reatha), Vernon (Audrey), and Robert.
Ivan was raised on a rural farm in western North Dakota. He was confirmed at the Skaar, ND Scandia Lutheran Church in 1937 and graduated from the Sidney High School in 1940 at the age of 16. He worked for a year in Sidney, MT and then moved to Longview, WA to attend Longview Business College and lived with his brother, Lovell and his wife Reatha. He was then hired to work for Pacific Fruit and Produce Company in Kelso, WA. He was with Pacific Fruit for over 40 years, moving with the company throughout the Pacific Northwest to Klamath Falls, The Dalles and Portland, Oregon, and finally ending his career in Kent, WA as VP/Finance for Tradewell Stores, Inc., a subsidiary of Pacific Fruit, when he retired in December 1985.
On March 18, 1943, Ivan enlisted in the Army in Portland, Oregon. He was trained to become a fighter pilot, but in early 1944, as the Allies were preparing for the invasion of the European Continent, he was transferred to the infantry and sent to Camp Breckenridge, KY and joined the 75th Infantry Division. On Christmas Eve, 1944 his unit was committed to the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. That winter was bitterly cold and he and his fellow soldiers lived in fox holes and advanced through the Ardennes Forest fighting the Germans. In early 1945, Ivan was evacuated to a Medical Aid Station, then a hospital in Paris, and ultimately to England with “trench foot,” (a condition caused by not having proper footwear for extreme cold weather and not having facilities to change into dry socks and shoes). Recovery took over three months. As Ivan was deployed back to active duty, the war ended in Europe and he returned to the United States.
After returning from Europe, Ivan visited his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Ferris in Sidney, MT. They married on February 16, 1946 in Glendive, MT and initially settled in Kelso, WA. Their marriage of 69 years was remembered and celebrated on February 16, 2015!
Ivan was an avid golfer, traveled throughout the United States and Europe with Eleanor and enjoyed many other hobbies throughout his life. He enjoyed fishing, bowling, making rubber stamps, sign-engraving, rock-polishing, flying remote controlled airplanes and taking photographs. He also taught himself to play the guitar and piano (by ear), was an excellent typist, was “current” in the use of technology (he had an iPhone6+ and an iPad that he used daily), and enjoyed working the daily crossword puzzles in the paper. He also was meticulous at keeping records and maintaining a budget for the family.
Ivan was a lifelong Lutheran. He served in volunteer and leadership capacities in every Lutheran church that he and Eleanor joined. He and Eleanor attended Chapel Services daily at the Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community as long as they were able to do so.
In April 1995, Ivan and Eleanor moved to the Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community in Tacoma, WA living for 121⁄2 years in a 6-plex independent living unit and then in October 2007, moved into the TLRC Apartment Complex where he lived until his passing on February 23, 2015. Eleanor continues to live in the full-skilled care section of the TLRC Complex.
A Memorial Service will be held at Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community on Saturday, March 21st @ 2:00 PM in the Chapel.
To honor Ivan’s wishes, it is requested that in lieu of flowers, Memorial Gifts (In Memory of Ivan Allen Larson) be made to either the Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community, 1301 North Highlands Parkway, Tacoma, WA 98406 or to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 6780 N. 17th Street, Tacoma, WA 98406.
Messages and/or condolences can be left for the family by visiting www.mountainviewtacoma.com, click on Obituaries, click Ivan A. Larson.
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