Judy Larson, age 80, of Canby, MN, passed away Thursday, December 12, 2024 at her home in Canby. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Canby, MN. Burial will be in the Canby City Cemetery, Canby. Visitation will be 5 – 7 pm with a Prayer Service at 7 pm on Tuesday, December 17th at the Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel in Canby, MN and will resume Wednesday one hour prior to the service at the church. Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel in Canby is entrusted with the arrangements.
Judy Ann Larson was born on November 21, 1944 to Arthur William (Bill) and Helen Boline in Bessemer, Michigan. She enjoyed skiing, skating, and other typical “Yooper” activities growing up in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, graduating from Bessemer High School in 1962. She continued her education by heading south to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where she met her future husband Milo and graduated in 1966. Judy and Milo spent summers working in food services at Camp Lincoln / Lake Hubert in northern Minnesota. This experience was instrumental in their blossoming relationship not just because it allowed them to spend time together but also because it’s where they learned to play golf. They were married in Bessemer in the summer of 1967, paving a trail between Minnesota and the U.P. that they would travel for many years to come. Judy started her teaching career in a Kindergarten classroom in Hopkins, Minnesota. She spent a year there before moving to Canby where she and Milo established roots, living in the same house on East View Road since 1972. She taught at Canby Elementary for over 25 years, mostly in Title I, before retiring in 2000. She was an active member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Canby, teaching and playing piano for Sunday School, playing in the bell choir, and helping with the food stand at the Fair. Judy was a prolific sports fan. She attended thousands of basketball, football, volleyball, baseball, golf, wrestling, track, and cross country events. She was up for anything sports-related, especially those involving her children or grandchildren or the Lancers or the Gophers or the Jackrabbits. And she didn’t just watch the games, she often kept score and tracked everything from the traditional statistics like points, rebounds, hits, and strikeouts to her own, more subjective observations such as “DPs” (dumb plays). She parlayed her outstanding penmanship and attention to detail into long-running role as the official scorer for high school section golf tournaments and the Milakovich Memorial Invitational. Speaking of golf, Judy wasn’t just an observer. She also became a very good player, winning numerous club championships and making a hole-in-one at Canby Golf Club. She and Milo enjoyed hitting the road in their trusty Chevy Impala, playing golf at over 200 golf courses across more than a dozen states (and often finding a casino to stay and play at along the way). Judy also developed an affinity for fishing and, again, she became quite good at it. She definitely preferred “fair weather” fishing, but no matter the lake, be it Star or Reno or Del Clark, or Cochrane, she often out fished her guide (Milo). Judy was a world-class planner and used those skills to coordinate schedules and logistics (and made sure there were plenty of snacks and bars) for gatherings big and small. Even as health issues took a toll on her body, she didn’t miss a chance to be there for family and friends. She was the thread that wove us together and will be greatly missed.
Judy is survived by her husband of 57 years Milo Elmer Larson; daughter Jill (Kent) Vettrus of Hartford, South Dakota; son Scott (Cherie) Larson of Forest Lake, Minnesota; grandchildren Noah Vettrus, Haley (Caleb) Hotchkiss, Kinsey Larson, Cooper Larson, and Chloe Larson; brothers George (Virginia) Boline, Arthur (Barbara) Boline; sister-in-law Connie Boline; brother-in-law Orlyn (Kris) Larson; and many nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by parents Arthur William (Helen) Boline; parents-in-law Elmer (Avice) Larson; brother Charles Boline.|
Please direct memorials to the Canby Blue and Gold Foundation. canbyblueandgold.org
