Janice M. Larson

Janice Marie Larson was born on August 29, 1944 to Leon and Mary (Zebe) Goembel in Luverne, Minnesota. She grew up in Magnolia, Minnesota, attending the Goembel Country Schoolhouse grades 1 through 4 and Magnolia Public School through graduation in 1962. While in school she was active with band and choir, 4H, and the GAA (Girls Athletic Association). After graduation, Janice worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Verlyn Johnson.  She married Chris Spykerboer on May 25, 1963 at the St. John Lutheran Church and the couple worked together on the farm and milking cows. They adopted their daughter Christi in February of 1969. In 1978, Janice began working toward becoming a nurse. She obtained her LPN and worked at various hospitals throughout the country as she continued her schooling, eventually obtaining a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration. She ran her own business in healthcare for several years. Janice retired and returned to the Luverne area in 2009, purchasing a small acreage outside of Beaver Creek, Minnesota where she raised alpacas, chickens, and cats. On September 11, 2023, Janice passed away peacefully on her acreage at the age of 79 years and 13 days.

Janice loved her animals and found great satisfaction raising and caring for them. She also deeply loved her two grandchildren, Robert and Alexandra. She will be dearly missed.

Janice is survived by her daughter, Christi (Spykerboer) Wilson of Luverne; grandchildren, Robert C. Drake of Luverne, and Alexandra M. Drake of Luverne who is currently attending college at USF; siblings, Bonnie (Arvin) Busse-Reu of Luverne, Brenda Goembel of Worthington, Minnesota, and Kurtis Goembel of Peoria, Iowa.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Leon and Mary Goembel; beloved son-in-law, Robert L. Drake; brother, Dale Goembel; step-sister, Michelle Perkins; and step-brother, James Anderson.