JoAndrea Larson, age 83, of Valley City, ND, died Monday, May 28th at her daughters home in Scottsdale, AZ surrounded by her loving family. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on June 20, 2018 at Faith Lutheran Church in Valley City. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 19th from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Faith Lutheran Church. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 PM Tuesday evening at the church.
JoAndrea was born November 5, 1934, to Christopher and Edna Ellingson of Cooperstown, ND. The youngest of four children, she grew up in Cooperstown and attended school there. After high school, she moved to Fargo, ND, where she met the love of her life, Frank Larson. They were married in 1955 and made their life together in Valley City. There are many ways people described JoAndrea, including compassionate, loving, giving, kind and strong. Those characteristics were all put to good use as she and Frank raised their four children, Scott, Heidi, Michael and Craig.
In the midst of raising their family, the couple became business owners in 1969 when they bought their first bank in Oakes, ND. Until recently, JoAndrea served on the bank’s board of directors and she always considered the employees of Starion Bank to be part of her family.
A strong believer in helping others, JoAndrea had a passion for making stronger communities by supporting children, education, family-owned businesses, animals and feeding the less fortunate. Some of the organizations she donated her time and resources to were the American Cancer Society, humane societies in Fargo and Mandan, Great Plains Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, United Way and the Medora Foundation.
She loved playing cards and was a ferocious bridge player. JoAndrea and Frank enjoyed traveling to different places around the world, but her favorite place to be was her home outside Valley City, where she spent time walking her dogs amid the beauty and splendor of rural North Dakota. Anyone who attended Faith Lutheran Church or Starion Bank picnics at the Larson property will always remember how much she loved opening her home to others. JoAndrea’s life was filled with much happiness, and her family was her greatest source of pride and joy.
She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Frank; their children Scott (Joni), Heidi, Michael and Craig (Shelley); grandchildren Nicholas, Wyatt, Paige, Savanna, Annika and Sierra; great-granddaughter Aubrey; and her sister Shirley (Dennis) Billings.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Wayne and sister Lynn.
A heartfelt thank you to the staff of Hospice of the Valley for the compassionate care they provided JoAndrea in her final days.
A memorial service for JoAndrea will be held at 11 AM on June 20, 2018 at Faith Lutheran Church in Valley City.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 19th from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Faith Lutheran Church. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 PM Tuesday evening at the church.
Funeral arrangements by the Lerud Mathias Funeral Home of Valley City, ND. An online guestbook is available at www.lerudschuldt.com