Services were held Saturday, Feb. 4, at First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson for Duane H. Larson, 88, of Jefferson.
Words of comfort were offered by the Rev Gordon Moen, pastor of the church, and by Pastor Larry Monthei of Hope United Methodist Parish in Cooper. Kenny Monthei was soloist with Cheryl Nailor as pianist. Honorary bearers were Jami Szwejk, Leslie Welter, Levi Larson, Lakota Larson, Haily Larson and Autumn Larson.
Casket bearers were Christopher Dela Pole, Grant Custer, Mitchell Larson, Reed Larson, Jeff Szwejk and Nick Welter. Interment was at the Franklin Township Cemetery in Greene County.
Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home assisted the family.
Duane Harold Larson was born October 31, 1928, on a farm on the Hamilton and Boone County line, near Stratford, IA. He was the oldest son of Elsie (Patterson) and Lawrence Larson. Duane’s schooling began at country school, then starting with the third grade, he attended school in Boxholm. The family moved to Greene County in 1942. Duane graduated from Cooper High School in 1946.
On January 29, 1950, Duane was united in marriage to Betty Jeanne Schilling at the Methodist Church in Jefferson. They made their home on a family farm in Franklin Township, Greene County, where they raised their four children, and were engaged in production agriculture which included corn, soybeans, hay, hogs, and cattle feeding. From 1967 to 1971, Betty and Duane participated in an American / Japanese agricultural program which linked them to four young Japanese men, all students of agriculture, who lived with the Larson family for nearly one year each. In later years, Betty and Duane visited all four men and their families in their respective homes in Japan. To this day, the Larsons remain in contact with Shigenobu Miyauchi of Kochi-Ken, Japan.
Duane refereed high school and semi-pro basketball throughout the state of Iowa for 11 years. He was an assistant Greene County 4-H leader for four years, and worked on the Greene County Fair Board for many years.
As a member of the Greene County Farm Bureau, Duane served on the young member committee, and on the Greene County Farm Bureau board of directors, where he was an officer in all capacities of the board, and was the county FB voting delegate for a three-year term. For 23 years, Duane served on the Cal-Car Farm Service board, and was president of that board for five years. From 1974 – 1976, Duane served on the state Agriculture Stabilization Conservation Service committee, and was chairman for one year.
Duane was a member of the Methodist Church administrative voard for three years. For 19 years he worked for the Greene County assessor’s examining board, and was elected to serve as 3rd District county supervisor from 2001 to 2006.
Duane Larson died Jan. 31, 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers Eldon and Marvin “Mike”.
He is survived by his wife, Betty; four children, daughter Lin Pole and son-in-law John of Saint Paul Park, MN, daughter Laine Custer and son-in-law Tom, son Lindsey Larson and daughter-in-law Debra, and son Loel Larson and daughter-in-law Sandy, all of Jefferson; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
