Darrell Larsen

Darrell Lee “Sam” Larsen was born to Soren and Stella (Andersen) Larsen on March 21, 1929 in Tyler, Minnesota, where he was raised and attended school. After his high school graduation, he began working as a carpenter with his father. On July 9, 1950 he was united in marriage to Carole Blaine in Lake Benton, Minnesota. Following their marriage, they lived in Tyler and Darrell continued to work as a carpenter. After a short time of living in Bloomington, Minnesota, they moved to Lake Benton where he started his own business known as Darrell Larsen Contractor. He continued in this business until his retirement in 1984 when he moved to Henning, Minnesota. In 2003, he moved back to Tyler. In 2008 he became a resident of The Homestead in Lake Benton until he entered Golden Living Center of Slayton, Minnesota in 2014. He died there on Friday, November 6, 2015 at the age of 86.

Darrell was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Lake Benton. For several years he served on the board for the Tyler Golf Club, and he remodeled the clubhouse there in the 1970s. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, bowling, playing pool, and playing cards. He loved baseball and had played on the Tyler and Balaton teams for several years. As a young man, he enjoyed entertaining at his home. He especially enjoyed dancing to the big band music and the polka.

Darrell is lovingly remembered by his children, Deborah Esposito and her husband Greg of Little River, South Carolina, Tamara Heidebrink and Ken Tyrrell of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Dana Larsen and his wife Jane of Marshall, Minnesota, and Kara Christensen and her husband Collin of Lake Benton, Minnesota; daughter-in-law, Connie Larsen of Underwood, Minnesota; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Beverly Lambert and her husband Glenn of Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Daniel Larsen; a grandson, Craig Esposito; two brothers, Reed and Robert Larsen; and one sister, Ann Weinock.