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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Ralph S. Larson of Hinsdale, who passed
4away on October 7, 2010; and
 
5    WHEREAS, He was born July 30, 1926 in Brookings, South
6Dakota, the son of Walter S. and Isabella M. (Pigott) Larson;
7he grew up on a dairy farm with a round barn in rural Sycamore,
8attending Lovell's Crossing one-room school and Sycamore High
9School, graduating in 1944 with the nickname "Round Barn
10Larson"; and
 
11    WHEREAS, After a stint in the Army Air Corps in the waning
12days of World War II, he attended Northern Illinois State
13Teachers College (now Northern Illinois University); during
14his years at Northern, he found time to letter in track and
15serve as head kitchen boy in girls' dorm Williston Hall, where
16he met the love of his life, Norma Beuter; after graduation,
17they were married on August 19, 1950 in Chicago and celebrated
18their 60th wedding anniversary this summer; and
 
19    WHEREAS, He chose the classroom over the cows, working most
20of his 38-year career in the Hinsdale elementary school
21district; after teaching junior high woodshop, P.E., and
22serving as a counselor, he served as principal of Prospect

 

 

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1Elementary and Hinsdale Junior High School for over 25 years;
2he retired in 1985 and moved to Lake Mills, Wisconsin, where he
3and his wife built their dream home on the shores of Rock Lake;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, He was a faithful and involved member of Lake
6Mills United Methodist Church, serving in several leadership
7capacities; he was a key member of the Rotary Club, where he
8was designated a Paul Harris Fellow; he was a volunteer at Fort
9Atkinson Memorial Hospital; and he was board president of the
10Jefferson County Habitat for Humanity; he enjoyed woodworking
11and reading, boat rides on the lake, grilling anything; and
12being a wonderful husband, father, Papa, and good neighbor to
13all; and
 
14    WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents and
15brother-in-law, John Beuter; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Ralph Larson is survived by his wife, Norma; his
17sons, Jay (Mary Jo), Kent (Kathleen), and Ned (Elizabeth); his
18grandchildren, Camille (Rick), Ryan, Stephanie (Matt), Jimmy,
19Amanda, Isabel, Brian, and Peter; his great-grandchildren, Mia
20and Flynn; his brother, Raymond L. (Carol) Larson; his
21sisters-in-law, Nada (Gordon) Geddes and Jill Beuter; and
22numerous nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
2ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
3his family and friends, the passing of Ralph Larson; and be it
4further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to the family of Ralph Larson as a symbol of our
7sincere sympathy.