Chester B. Larsen

Chester Bernard, son of Claus and Ellen Marie (Lauritsen) Larsen was born April 4, 1910 in Audubon County, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed at Bethany Lutheran Church northeast of Kimballton. He grew up on the C.P. and Ann Marie Lauritsen home place near Kimballton and attended Sharon #4 rural school. Chester farmed with his father until moving to Los Angeles, CA in 1936. He drove his 1936 Chevy accompanied by his sister Edna and friends from Kimballton. In California he was engaged in various jobs and attended Santa Monica Construction Trade school. While in California he attended Olivet Lutheran Church where he met Elizabeth Aagaard of Elk Horn, Iowa. These years in California formed a bank of memories for Chester and Elizabeth. They loved to take trips to Santa Monica, the orange groves, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, the ocean and Yosemite. These trips were photographed and form a pictorial history of pre WWII California. Chester's photos and the memories have been passed down to succeeding generations. Chester Larsen and Elizabeth Aagaard were married Feb.16, 1941 at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church in Elk Horn, IA. Three children were born to this union. For thirty seven years they farmed north of Kimballton. A big part of his farm life was raising cattle. He was a member of the Audubon County T-bone Club, served on the Audubon County Fair Board and helped build the new fair buildings. He was a 4H leader for the Sharon Straight Shooters. Chester was a member of Elk Horn Lutheran Church, the Danish Brotherhood, taught Sunday school, and was active on fund raising committees for the new church built in 1949 as well as the Sunday school addition. He also participated in many fund raising projects for mission programs. Chester was active in the establishment of the Elk Horn Kimballton School District and served on the School Board for many years including the position of president. He was a lifelong Republican and served as an election judge in Audubon County Iowa and in Jefferson County Colorado. Chester and Elizabeth loved picnicking and fishing at Prairie Rose State Park. They enjoyed family vacations traveling to Yellowstone, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, California and, in later years, loved to meet with cousins at Padre Island, Texas. A favorite trip for Chester was the one to Denmark with his daughters and granddaughters in 2001. In 1978 Chester and Elizabeth retired from the farm and moved to Littleton, CO where they were members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Chester enjoyed returning to the construction business. He and Elizabeth had a beautiful flower garden and a huge strawberry patch. They loved entertaining their family and friends on the patio. The granddaughters spent many hours with grandpa in his garage workshop. Chester had a love of family history and family lore. He repeated the stories told to him by his father. These stories have become a rich memory for his family. His love of photography began at the age of fourteen when his father gave him his first camera. These passions remained with him throughout his life. After the death of his wife of 59 years in 2000, Chester stayed in their home in Littleton. It was during this time that he joined Abiding Hope Lutheran Church. In 2007 Chester moved to The Gardens of Columbine. He passed away Thursday, May 27, 2010 at the Gardens of Columbine in Littleton at the age of 100 years, 1 month and 23 days. He was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth Aagaard Larsen; parents Claus and Ellen Marie Larsen; two sisters Edna Kjergaard (Bork) and Lillian Woodruff and two brothers Edward Larsen and Herbert Larsen (Regina). Chester is survived by his daughter Barbara Martin and her husband Ron, of Morrison, CO; son Charles Larsen and wife Julie, of Kimballton, IA; and daughter Cynthia Adams and husband Gary, of Littleton, CO: five granddaughters: Elizabeth Sherwood and husband Jim of Wichita, KS; Mary Marsh and husband Jeff of Littleton, CO; Carrie Calkins and husband Michael, of Littleton, CO; Sarah Norfolk and husband Ted, of Grand Junction, CO; and Kathryn Ferguson and husband Dan of Philadelphia, PA; eight great-grand children: Brady and Benjamin Sherwood; Julianna and Caroline Marsh; Aidan Calkins; and Jack, Emi and Abby Norfolk; many nieces and nephews and friends.