Margaret Mae Larson

 Margaret Mae Larson, age 96, peacefully passed away on January 23, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska surrounded by her family. A celebration of life service will be held at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel at 11:00 AM on February 14, 2025. The family will receive attendees prior to the service beginning at 10:00 AM. A luncheon will be held following the service. Burial will be held later that afternoon in a private family ceremony in Meckling, SD.

 Margaret was born on October 2,1928 in Granger, Minnesota and was the third and youngest daughter of Jerome and Ida Michel. She grew up on the Michel farm in the Granger area. She later graduated from Harmony High School and then attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. She acquired her teaching certificate at Luther College.

 Margaret’s first teaching job was in Waverly Iowa. She met the love of her life, Robert Larson, while attending one of her first teacher meetings. Robert was a very talented musician (vocalist/pianist) who was aspiring to become a high school music teacher. Margaret married Robert on July 19,1953. After two years in Waverly, they moved to Boulder, Colorado where Robert obtained his master’s degree in music at CU. By this time, they had already started their family with the first two children, Kristi and David. They eventually settled in Sioux City, Iowa where Robert accepted his first teaching position in the Sioux City school system at East Junior High School. Shortly after arriving in Sioux City, their next three children were born: Kenton, Timothy, and Robert. They made Sioux City their home for the next several decades where they raised their five children. All of the kids were heavily involved in sports and music. Margaret and Robert made it a priority to attend every game and concert, often times multiple events in the same week or even the same day. Margaret paused her teaching career for several years while the kids were young. Once the kids were all in junior and senior high school, Margaret decided to finish her college degree. She attended Morningside College in Sioux City to obtain her BA degree in elementary education. She taught the next several years in the Sioux City school system until she and Robert retired from teaching.

 After retirement, Margaret and Robert invested in a local health food business named Nutrition Village with two locations. They learned on the fly and worked together as a team for almost 15 years. They were passionate about teaching their loyal customers ways to maintain their health with nutritional supplements and holistic remedies. Nutrition Village was a blessing for Margaret and Robert during their retirement. It kept them busy and provided additional income to supplement their retirement. The extra income allowed them to travel frequently during retirement and brought them much joy. They were able to visit Norway a couple of times but most of their travel was to visit their grandchildren and great grandchildren in other cities and states.

 Margaret was married to Robert for 69 wonderful years before he passed away in 2023. Her family was extremely blessed to have them as parents. They led by example with their marriage, their parenting, and their strong faith in the Lord. Margaret loved her husband and her family. She worked hard and always put everyone’s needs ahead of her own. Her unselfish approach to life was evident in everything that she did. On one occasion, Margaret even used her collection of silver dollars which she had been frugally saving for years to pay for a YMCA basketball camp for one of the kids. Her dedication and love for her family was unwavering. Margaret also loved the Lord and her church. Her faith was strong and she encouraged everyone to keep God number one in their life. Margaret was grateful for everything, she never complained, and she always had a loving smile.

 Margaret is survived by her children, Kristi Nelson, David Larson (Shelly), Kenton Larson, Timothy Larson (Lori), and Robert Larson (Cheryl); several nieces and nephews; 13 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

 Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Larson; his parents, Ole and Clara; her brother-in-law, Gene Larson (Arlene); her brother-in-law, Donald Larson; her parents, Ida and Jerome Michel; her sisters, Carol Vagts (Robert) and Winifred Halweg (Roger); her son-in-law, Russell Nelson; and her daughter-in-law, Kay Larson.

 In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Siouxland Community Foundation for the Larson Family Scholarship Fund. A direct link to give online is https://siouxlandcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1069 or checks may be mailed to Siouxland Community Foundation c/o Larson Family Scholarship, 4425 Singing Hills, Blvd., STE 100, Sioux City, IA 51106. The Fund was created in memory of Robert and Margaret Larson’s contribution to high school music in the Siouxland area. This annual scholarship is awarded to a local high school student who is pursuing a career in music.