Naomi Larson

Naomi Larson, age 98, passed away June 30, 2008 in the Life Care Center of Plano, TX. Naomi Lillian Larson was born October 3, 1909, near Mapleton, ND, the eldest of four children of Carl and Clara Larson. She grew up on the farm, nine miles west of Fargo, ND, and attended Fairview Country School. In the fall of 1921, the family moved to Fargo. Naomi entered the seventh grade at Agassiz Junior High School, graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1927, and graduated from North Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics Education in 1931. Teaching was an adventure for her. The first teaching was at New Boston, Illinois, along the Mississippi River. After three years there, she became a member of the faculty at Rockton, Illinois, and then moved to Galesburg, Illinois, where she taught in the Senior High School for several years. The president of Valley City State Teachers College in Valley City, ND, offered her a position, where she taught in all of the 1940’s. After attending the University of Wisconsin one summer, to start to earn advance degrees in the School of Home Economics she became a professor’s teaching assistant, where she taught until 1958, when it was necessary to return to Fargo to be with elderly parents and their elderly relatives. She joined the staff of Agassiz Junior High School, where she once was a student. She retired in 1974. Naomi was a lifetime member of Elim Lutheran Church; where as a young person was active in Junior Mission Band, the Junior and Senior Chorus, Luther League, Elim Church Women and Elim Circle. She taught Sunday School for 24 year, from high school through college years, and when she returned to Fargo, was director of Bible summer school for two years and taught the first year of Confirmation class when Pastor Lindbergh was at Elim. She was a member of two honorary and professional societies: Phi Upsilon Omicron from North Dakota State University and Omicron Nu from the University of Wisconsin. She was active in the Daughters of the Dakota Pioneer, Cass County area, Retired Teachers, Swedish Heritage Culture Society and the Red River Danes. Preceding her in death were her parents; brother, Arthur (Janet) Larson of Cape Coral, FL; brother, Robert (Betty) Larson of Pittsburg, PA. Surviving are her sister, Evelyn Larson Houk of Plano, TX; three nieces, Mary Jo Rex (Larry) also of Plano, TX.; Sandra Dayton (Andrew) of Del Rio, TX; and Judy Larson Barron (Donald) of Howell, MI; three nephews, Richard Larson (Lucinda) of Culpeper, VA; Ronald Larson (Sally) of Pittsburg, PA; and John Larson of Hampton, VA. Funeral Service: Wednesday, July 9, 2008, at 10:00 AM, at Elim Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND. Visitation: Tuesday, July 8, 2008, from 5-7 PM, at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, Fargo, ND. Prayer Service: Tuesday, at 7 PM, at Hanson-Runsvold. Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Fargo, ND.