Larry Nelson, 73, died March 1, 2005 at Oakland Park Nursing Home, Thief River Falls, MN.

Visitation will be from 12 -4 PM on Saturday, March 5, 2005 at the Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN.

Larry G. Nelson was born June 29, 1931 in Numedal Township, Pennington County, Minnesota to Edward C. and Myrtle F. (Bugge) Nelson, rural Thief River Falls, MN. He attended country school and graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls in 1949.

Larry enlisted in the Marines in 1951 and served until 1954. After returning home from the service he worked for Stuart and Walker in Bemidji. He then drove truck for Nash Finch. He married LuVerne Kelly Larson on September 27, 1958 in Argyle, MN. They had three children together, Sandi, Kurt and Steven. He worked as a bartender part time at the VFW. Larrys main occupation was with the Soo Line Railroad, working as a Brakeman, retiring in 1994 with 33 years experience.

He enjoyed gun smithing, woodworking of guns, building rifles, hunting, fishing, reading books and history, and did a crossword a day. He enjoyed spending many weekends at his shack in Fourtown. He enjoyed watching NASCAR and was a big Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan. In his early years Larry liked to spend time with his dogs, many times taking them out on the boat and to the shack with him. He was a member of the VFW, Eagles, and a lifetime member of the United Transportation Union.

He is survived by 3 children: Kurt Nelson, Crookston, MN; Sandi Nelson, Mechanicsville, VA; and Steven Nelson, Thief River Falls, MN; 6 grandchildren: Tony, Sam, and Jenny Nelson (Kurt), James, Jessica, and Melissa Lowry (Sandi), 1 great grandchild DeLainey Fogarty (Jenny).

He was preceded in death by his parents Edward and Myrtle and his wife LuVerne.

Family condolences may be sent by visiting www.johnsonfuneralservice.net

HONORARY CASKETBEARERS: Fellow Soo Line Railroad workers.