Rev. Stanley Larsen

Reverend Stanley Larsen
Reverend Stanley Richard Larsen, 77, of Battle Lake, died Thursday, September 11, 2014, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, ND due to complications after a heart procedure.

Stanley was born January 29, 1937, on the family farm near Underwood, Iowa, the son of Louis and Carrie (Christoffersen) Larsen. He was the fourth of five boys and began earning his keep by milking his own cow at the age of 5. He graduated from Underwood High School in 1954. Stan graduated from Dana College in Blair, NE in 1960 with majors in English and Philosophy. He was called to pastoral ministry and graduated from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, in 1964.

It was on the Dana campus that Stan met and fell in love with Ruth Henningsen. They continued their courtship as he went to seminary and Ruth pursued her nursing education at Lutheran Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing. Stan and Ruth were married on August 24, 1963 at St. Matthews Lutheran Church in Laurens, NY. Their marriage was blessed with four children: Sarah, Miriam, Soren and Kristen.

During his 50 years of ordained ministry, Stanley served rural and small town parishes in Williston, McClusky and Beach in North Dakota and Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Following his retirement, Stan and Ruth built a home on Silver Lake outside of Battle Lake, MN. He was an active member of Eagle Lake Lutheran Church, enthusiastically singing in the choir and in a barbershop quartet (The Eagle Lake Buoys), gladly teaching and preaching God’s word when called upon. He was a member of the Lions Club and volunteered reading for the blind on the closed circuit station. He enjoyed gardening, music, reading, his pets, visiting with friends and family and was active in his community wherever he lived. He was a friend and mentor to many, and his humble and gracious presence will be deeply missed. He died as he lived, trusting in his Savior.

Preceding him in death were his parents; a brother, Orville and two infant sisters, Helen and Phyllis.

Survivors include his wife, Ruth of Battle Lake; children, Sarah (Noël) Tadè of Windom, MN, Miriam (Alfred) Ofori of Milwaukee, WI, Soren (Bonnie) Flessen of Batavia, IL and Kristen (Brian) Larsen-Schmidt of Grand Forks, ND; grandchildren, Maren and Ivy Flessen, Yanick, Isaac and Eliana Tadè, Gracia and Micah Larsen-Schmidt and Isaiah Ofori; three brothers, Norman (Lornas) Larsen, Ernest (Joann) Larsen, and David (Karen) Larsen; a sister-in-law, Gloria Larsen along with numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to Eagle Lake Lutheran Funeral Pall Fund or Music Fund or the Village Education Project of the Central African Republic.

Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, September 15, 2014, with a public prayer service at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church.
Service: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at Eagle Lake Lutheran Church, rural Battle Lake, MN.
Clergy: Reverends Ali Haugerud, Paul Nelson, Saul Stensvaag, and Tom Peterson
Burial: Eagle Lake Lutheran Cemetery, rural Battle Lake

Clergy present are invited to vest and process in the liturgical color of green.