Richard O. Larson

GUTTENBERG, IOWA

   Richard Owen Larson, 79, of Guttenberg, Iowa, passed away Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa with his wife at his side.

   Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM, with a Memorial Service at 11:00 AM, on Friday, February 21, 2025, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Guttenberg, with a luncheon to follow in the Fellowship Hall.

   Richard was born on March 22, 1945, in Denver, Colorado, to Dewey and Ruby (Haas) Larson, as his parents were traveling from Army deployment in California, to their home in St. James, Minnesota. Richard grew up in this small mid-western town enjoying the companionship of three brothers, family fishing trips, hunting, working a newspaper route, chasing chickens for a local processor, and during his high school years, working as a movie projectionist. He graduated from St. James High School in 1963, and attended Mankato Vocational Tech Finishing in 1966, earning a certificate in Electronics.

   Richard moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to work for Honeywell Inc., where he began working as an electronics tech for their contract with NASA’s Apollo Program. Later, he apprenticed and became certified in the Tool and Dye making department, where he primarily worked with programming the tools that produced precision parts for Military Avionics. He also volunteered at the Courage Center, using his skills to help create adaptive equipment for patients with various types of disabilities before retiring after working for forty-three years.

   As a member of the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, he was active on the Church Council, Ushering, and Bible Studies. He met the love of his life, Gail Crellin, at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, where they married in 1995. Together, they began to plan for retirement and spent parts of their vacations looking at possible locations to build their dream home. Wanting to leave the urban scene and return to the countryside, they ultimately fell in love with the Guttenberg area, where they bought a lot, south of town in 2001. Having purchased eight acres of the bluff top land and not wanting to spend his retirement mowing grass, Richard spearheaded their immersive learning experience with restoring the native prairie. When Richard was forced to take disability in 2005, they stepped up their plans and built their home in 2006, where they hired an expert team to plant the desired prairie meadow, and moved to Guttenberg in 2007.

   In Guttenberg, Richard was an active member at the St. John’s Lutheran Church, serving on the Church Council, Ushering, and taking part in the Bible Study. Wanting to give back to his new home town, he also became involved in various other community groups. At home, he created a large and elaborate model train layout, in his pole shed, or also known as “Richard’s Retirement Playhouse.” Having grown up in an important hub town for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, he has always had a passion and love for trains and never passed up a train museum. The main line, on the model railroad is, of course, “C&NW.”

   Richard is survived by his loving wife, Gail; brothers: Wayne (Jeanette) Larson, Dale (Melanie) Larson, and Roger Larson; brother-in-law, Bruce (Nena) Crellin; sister-in-law, Melberne (Jerry) Crellin-Mansfield; nephews: Todd Crellin, and Scott (Amber) Crellin; niece, Melberne Elizabeth Mansfield; and many beloved friends, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

   Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey, and Ruby; 

   Memorial Contributions can be made out to the St. John’s Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 819, Guttenberg, Iowa 52052, the Foundation of Cornerstone Communities (Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque), 700 Locust St., Suite 195, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, or to a conservation organization such as the National Wildlife Federation, P.O. Box 1583, Merrifield, Virginia 22116, or the Clayton County Conservation, 29862 Osborne Rd., Elkader, Iowa 52043.

   Morris Funeral Home in Guttenberg is assisting the family and information is available at www.kramer-morrisfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be sent to Morris Funeral Home (in care of the deceased) 207 South 1st St, Guttenberg, IA 52052.