Charles L. Larsen, age 93, of Spring Valley, Wisconsin, passed away Saturday, November 4, 2023, at his home in Gilman Township.
Charley was born June 22, 1930, to Lawrence and Martha (Hansen) Larsen in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where he attended and graduated from St Louis Park Schools.
After graduation, Charley enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served for four years during the Korean War. During his military service, he married Barbara Boquist. They were blessed with two children, Scott and Kim.
As his father’s health failed, Charley was there to take care of him. His interest turned to healthcare, and he went on to study at the University of Minnesota to become a Registered Nurse. He worked as an Emergency Room Nurse until he retired at age 80.
On September 9, 1988, he was married to Cheryl Moellenhoff. After living in St. Louis Park for many years, he decided he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a farmer. He wanted to be within an hour’s drive from the Twin Cities so he could continue to work, so he started driving around Minnesota and Wisconsin looking for land to build his homestead. He found what he was looking for in Gilman Township, Wisconsin and began building.
In 1997, he and his wife moved into the beautiful house he built himself and raised cattle, sheep, and goats. His hobbies were photography, astronomy, birdwatching, and learning new things all the time.
Charley loved life and loved people. He was known for his witty conversation and sense of humor and enjoyed long discussions on a variety of topics.
Preceding him in death were his parents, his brother Hubbard, his son Scott, and his brother Sterling. He is survived by his wife Cheryl Larsen of Spring Valley, daughter Kim (Bob) Hewitt, daughter-in-law Lois Ann Larsen, grandson Alec Larsen, in-laws Mary Moellenhoff, Paul Moellenhoff, Allen (Ann) Moellenhoff, Arno (Jane) Moellenhoff, Myles (Pam) Moellenhoff, Alanna Diaz, along with several nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
A graveside service for Charley was held at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in St. Paul Minnesota.
A Memorial service was on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Spring Valley. Visitation was for one hour prior to the service at St. John’s. Keehr Funeral Home (keehrfuneralhome.com) Spring Valley is handling arrangements.
