John A. Larson was born May 18, 1896, at Stadsbygden, near Trondheim, Norway. He came to America with his mother, Kjersten J. Foss, in 1900 and

settled in LaMoure County. In 1922, he came to Barnes County where he was employed on several area farms and by A. S. Graalum as a mechanic in his Hastings Garage.

On January 20, 1926, he was united in marriage with Olga Olson, daughter of John and Victoria Olson of Oak Hill Township, at Moorhead, Minnesota. They moved from Hastings to Valley City where Mr. Larson was employed by Pegg Garage. In 1930, they moved to the Sheyenne Valley area of Nelson Township where they farmed. They purchased a farm just east of Valley City in 1945 and farmed there until the purchased a home in Valley City in 1972.

Mr. Larson was active in the cooperative movement and served for several years as President of the Hi-Line Farmers Union Grain Company, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Barnes County Farmers Union.

The Larsons were parents of three children; Verna, who was born at Hastings on June 25, 1927, is now employed as an Accounting Supervisor at St. Paul, Minnesota; Lois, (Mrs. Leo Goetz) born September 5, 1929 is a teacher and lives at Allen Park, Michigan; Kenneth, born June 6, 1944 is an Electronics Engineer and lives at Devils Lake, North Dakota.

Mrs. Larson passed away May 30, 1975.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 136