William Theodore Larson

William "Ted" Theodore Larson, 80, of Winona, died Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse due to complications following a lengthy illness.Ted was born in Olmsted County on September 1, 1932 to William and Mae (Ihrke) Larson. He was raised in the Lewiston area and graduated from Lewiston High School in 1950. Upon graduating, Ted attended the Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis and studied Automotive Technology. He owned and operated City Service in St. Charles for a number of years. He was united in marriage to Carole Mulholland. Together, they raised four sons and were later divorced. He enjoyed spending time with his family outdoors, boating, fishing, hunting, and snowmobiling. Ted was also a snowmobile safety instructor and volunteered with the Elks youth camp on Gull Lake. On August 22, 1986, Ted married Louise "Punkie" Kanz in Winona. Ted's true passion was in law enforcement, and he worked as a police officer in St. Charles for two years. He later became a deputy sheriff in Winona County and held the position for over 23 years. While deputy, Ted was appointed to maintain, purchase, and transport police cars. He later became a transport officer and was also active with the dive and rescue team. After 35 years of service, Ted retired on January 2, 1992. Ted was the strong and silent type with a quirky, sarcastic sense of humor. He is survived by his wife, Louise Larson; children, Brad (Sherry) of Hastings, Jeff (Sandy) of St. Charles, Tim (Andrea) of Mendota Heights, Tom (Peggy) of Elba, Lisa (Jim) Richter of Prescott, WI, Patrick (Cindy) Ebert of Lake City, and Brian Ebert of Winona; 14 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandson. Ted is preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Muriel Bearden.A gathering of friends and family will be held from 4-8pm on Saturday, December 1, 2012 at Hoff Funeral & Cremation Service-Hansen Goodview Chapel. The Elks Lodge #327 will offer a service at 5pm and the Rising Sun Lodge #49 from St. Charles will offer their Masonic service at 6:30pm. Following the Masonic service, there will be a time to share memories, tell stories, and honor Ted's life. Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association.Please share a memory of Ted with his family, sign the online guestbook, and view his video tribute when it becomes available at www.hofffuneral.com.
Tribute video can be found at: videos.lifetributes.com/352731