Lester Leroy Larsen

Lester Leroy Larsen, the son of Hans P. and Anna M. (Andersen) Larsen, was born August 14, 1926, at his parents’ home in rural Audubon County near Hamlin, Iowa and died August 12, 2018, at the Friendship Home in Audubon, Iowa at the age of 91 years, 11 months, and 28, days.
Lester was baptized October 31, 1926, and confirmed May 18, 1941, at the Bethany Lutheran Church northeast of Kimballton, Iowa. He attended rural Audubon County schools then worked for several area farmers. On April 20, 1945, he was inducted into the United States Army. During his tour of duty he served as an automotive mechanic spending over one year with the Occupation Army in Japan. He was honorably discharged on December 16, 1946, and returned home. Lester was employed at a local body shop in Audubon operated by Raymond Anderson.
On February 14, 1949, he was united in marriage to Grace E. Madsen at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They were blessed with two sons Steven and Paul. Lester continued working at the body shop and in 1959 opened his own shop, Larsen Glass and Body Shop. He operated the Shop and participated in the job-training program through the Audubon High School. Many of the students who worked for him later went on to operate their own businesses. Lester worked for many years until he retired and sold the business in 1988.
Lester was an Active Member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. He served as the Congregational President for two consecutive terms and served on other committees, the church council, and was the sound operator for several years. Lester was an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts. He was a Cub Master for two years and was a Boy Scout committeeman for the District Commissioner for over 25 years. Lester received the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service for the Mid America Council. He was also fortunate to see both his sons achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. He had been a member of the Audubon Chamber of Commerce for many years and served on the boards for the Flight Breakfast and the T-Bone parade. Lester received the Community Service Award in 1991. He was the director of the Audubon County Emergency Management for over 33 years. Lester served as Director of the E-911 board and was instrumental in developing the service for Audubon County. He was an active member of the Amateur Radio Club which he used for storm spotting. Lester and Grace owned a cabin on the Twin Lakes near Fort Dodge, Iowa for over 45 years which their boys enjoyed during the summers as they were growing up. They later developed an interest in searching and photographing old watermills.
Lester was preceded in death by his son Paul Larsen; his daughter-in-law Mona (Pardee) Larsen; his parents; his sister Lola Larsen; his brother Elmer and wife Eva Larsen; his niece Rebecca Saar; his nephew Darold Larsen and his son Eric; his step-mother Jessie Phippen; his step brothers Harry, Lester, and Everett Phippen; his wife’s parents Ole and Helena Madsen: his sister-in-law Hazel and husband Henry Fleming; his brothers-in-law Clifford and wife Alsace Madsen, Floyd Madsen, and Dallas and wife Annabelle Madsen.
Survivors include his wife of 69 years Grace Larsen of Audubon, Iowa; his son Steven and wife Barbara Larsen of Branson, Missouri; his daughter-in-law Marcie Larsen of Albuquerque, New Mexico; his grandchildren Nicki and husband Josh Klever of Audubon, and Cheryl Larsen Zinke of Gray, Iowa; his step-grandson Tommy Boykin of Albuquerque; his great grandchildren Cameron and Conner Klever both of Audubon, Taryn and Addisyn Zinke both of Gray, and Lily Boykin of Albuquerque; his sister-in-law Valetta Jensen of Creston, Iowa, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Keith Menter on Thursday, August 16, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. Interment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon. The honorary casket bearers will be the members the Coon Valley Amateur Radio Club. The casket bearers will be Josh Klever, Virgil Larsen, Leon Larsen, Gary Larsen, Doug Jensen, and Jeff Madsen. The family will meet with friends Wednesday evening August 15, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa.