Larry Richard Pederson's Obituary
Larry Pederson of Tacoma, Washington passed away on November 14, 2022, surrounded by his family.
Larry was born in 1936 in Crookston, MN to parents Jody and Dorothy Pederson, the second of their three sons.
The family moved to Washington State in 1946 to a small farm (with a sizable hen house) outside of Enumclaw. They then moved to a larger, but rundown farm (with a larger poultry barn), just east of the Tacoma city limits in 1948.
The family worked hard to get the farm and buildings cleaned up and usable again. Larry and his brothers had daily chores from an early age, including taking care of the family’s large flock of laying hens and other work around the farm and household.
Larry attended Waller Road School and graduated from Puyallup High School in 1954. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, attaining the rank of Life Scout. He met his future wife Karen in 1955, while she was attending Lincoln High School. They were married in 1957 and had 4 children together. He joined the Coast Guard Reserve in August of 1955 and was honorably discharged in in 1962.
The layers gave way to fryers as the demand for ready to cook poultry was increasing rapidly in the early 50s. The backyard fryer sales increased to the point that the entire family as well as some neighbors were employed to keep up with the increasing sales. In 1958, a large, modern poultry plant was completed on the property. The business continued to grow into the largest poultry operation in the Northwest. After the death of their father Jody in 1971, Larry and his brother Jack ran Pederson Fryer Farms until it was sold to Foster Farms in 1998.
Larry was a member of the National Broiler Council, the Tacoma Model T Club and the Galloping Gertie Model A Club. Larry’s hobbies included golfing, spending summers on Fox Island, and preparing his Model A and Model T Fords for their annual long-distance tour with the Thompsons and the Smiths.
Larry is survived by his wife Karen, brother Harold (Cyndi), children Steven (Denise), Diane (Les), Sandy (Mike), and Vicki and 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
The Family will be providing masks, and asks that masks be worn for the duration of the service.
Tributes and memorials can be made to the American Heart Association
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