Muriel L. Larson

Muriel Larson, age 96, of Clark, the widow of Bernell "Mike" Larson, died November 17, 2019, in the Avantara Clark Care Center.

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 6, 2019 from 4-6 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2019, at 10:30 AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with The Rev. Mindy Ehrke officiating.  Her grandsons will serve as the active casketbearers with the honorary casketbearers being the granddaughters, the Friendly Neighbors Club, and the staff from the Wookey Center.  Music will be presented by Dorothy Fuller as organist with April Flemming, Nicholas Alberts, and Duane and Char Peterson providing special music.  Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark.

Muriel Lillian Smith was born February 26, 1923, in Darlington Township in Clark County. She was the daughter of Harold E. and Ellen (Thoreson) Smith.

Muriel attended rural school in Merton Township and graduated from Clark High School in 1941. Following graduation she attended Northern State Teacher's College in Aberdeen for one year and received her teaching certificate in 1942.  She taught for 4 years prior to getting married in 1946.  She taught in the following rural schools in Clark County: 2 years at Garfield Township; 1 year at Mt. Pleasant Township, and 1 year at Merton Township.

On September 15, 1946, a double wedding ceremony took place uniting Bernell "Mike" and Muriel Smith along with her brother, Allen and Roberta Smith, at United Methodist Church in Watertown.  Mike and Muriel lived on a farm in Merton Township when first married. After a short time, they moved to a farm in Elrod Township for 7 years. In the mid 50's they moved to a farm in Eden Township; they rented for many years prior to purchasing the farm.

On May 12, 1984, a tornado destroyed their home and farm buildings. Not giving it a second thought, Mike and Muriel rebuilt their farm with a new home, machine shed and wood working shop.  They lived on that same farm for another 25 years prior to moving to Pebble Beach in Clark in the fall of 2009. Mike and Muriel shared 63 years of marriage.  After Mike's death at the end of January in 2010, Muriel moved into the Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living in the independent apartments. She lived at Wookey's until she suffered a stroke on June 11, 2019.  On June 20, 2019, she was admitted into the Clark Care Center (Avantara Care Center) until the time of her death on November 17, 2019.

Muriel loved her family and helping on the farm.  She enjoyed gardening---not a weed to be found!! Muriel also enjoyed sewing and embroidering.  All the grandkids received a set of dish towels that she embroidered.  She also made quilts for the grandkids – the girls received polyester quilts & the boys got blue jean ones. She also made embroidered baby quilts.  Muriel was a hard worker. She raised chickens for many, many years.  It was the egg and cream check that kept the grocery bills paid from week to week.

Since she was so devoted to her family, she really didn't volunteer for too many things outside of the home; but she did belong to the "Friendly Neighbor" club for many years. Her family always came first!  After Mike passed away she enjoyed helping make quilts at the church and attended bible studies at St. Paul.

Preceding her in death were her parents, husband, a son, Donald, and siblings Marvin (Nona), Wilmer (Frances), Allen (Roberta), and Robert. A brother-in-law, Glenn Hawkyard also preceded in death.

Survivors include sons, Laird (Kathy) Larson of Clark, Marlan Larson of Sturgis, Sheri (Leonard) Alberts of   Britton, and Lori (Tim) Page of Brookings. Also surviving are 15 Grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren, a sister, Mavis Hawkyard of Clark and a daughter-in-law, Donna Larson of Milbank.

Services are with the Furness Funeral Home where there is an online registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com