LAVERNE C. LARSON Laverne Larson, 86, passed away October 6th, 2016 in his home surrounded by his family. Laverne Clifford Larson was born on December 27, 1929 to Arthur and Mennie Larson in the hills of Bottineau, ND. He graduated from Bottineau High in 1948 and attended the Bottineau School of Forestry immediately following his High School graduation. He went on to the University of Minnesota Veterinary School and graduated in 1955 as Valedictorian of his class. Laverne married Kathleen Schneider on June 30th, 1956. They enjoyed sixty years of beautiful marriage together and had two daughters, Renee and Mary. After his college education, Laverne went into partnership with Dr. Delbert Clark and Dr. Vernon Knudson at the Cooperstown Veterinary Practice and later retired in 1982. He then went on to work for the USDA Food Safety Inspection in Nebraska and Minnesota for seven years and upon his retirement from the USDA he and his wife Kathy returned to Cooperstown, ND. Laverne had a quiet and humble spirit that filled a room with a sense of peace and contentment. He believed in hard work and in turn loved to work with his hands, which resulted in numerous beautifully crafted furniture pieces for his family as well as his Bottineau log cabin which, down to the very last log, he also hand crafted himself. In addition, he enjoyed raising beef cattle, working in the yard and in his vegetable/flower garden, reading, learning, and playing golf. One of these golf games even resulted in the infamous “hole in one”! Most importantly, at the core of his spirit was a love for God and a love for his family that couldn’t be dismissed and permeated his very being and every family gathering. His love for his family and grandchildren could always be felt and perhaps will be most fondly remembered at the Bottineau cabin where he shared his heart for the outdoors, his workmanship, and his enjoyment for the simple pleasures in life (including those short, red swimming trunks!) with those he cared about most. However, whether it was a celebration, sporting event, or a traditional Holiday, Laverne’s active presence in his family’s lives brought with it a love that didn’t go unfelt and a sense of grounded pride that couldn’t be ignored – all of which were so effortlessly displayed through his simple smile, head nod, and quiet chuckle. All of these beautiful qualities being rooted in his faith, his character was unwavering as he had the rock of Christ to rest on. Laverne will be cherished and never forgotten and his spirit will continue to bring with it a sense of love, peace and contentment for us to remember and be comforted by. Laverne is survived by his wife, Kathy Larson, Cooperstown, ND; two daughters, Mary (Bart) Oothoudt, Woodbury, MN and Renee Larson, Frazee, MN; six grandchildren, Ibanga Umanah, Katrina (Vince) Lauifi, Mbang (Wilguens) Dort, Bronte Oothoudt, Brynn Oothoudt, and Iain Oothoudt; 3 brothers, Ardeen (Edna) Larson, Wendell (Margo) Larson, Luther (JoAnn) Larson; 2 sisters, Stella Timboe and Marlayn (Duane) Mummelthie and many nieces and nephews.Laverne was preceeded in death by his parents and sister, Crystal. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, October 14th, 2pm at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Cooperstown, ND. Visitation will be held from 5-7pm on Thursday, October 13th, at the First Presbyterian Church and one hour prior to the Celebration of Life service at Trinity Lutheran. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the donor’s charity of choice or to the Cooperstown Cemetery. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of LAVERNE C. LARSON, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.