Lorraine June Larson

Lorraine (Asprey) (Wagoner) Larson lived a 98 year long life of Faith, Family, and Friends worth celebrating. A Celebration of Life Service for Lorraine will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday June 12, 2021 with visitation starting at 10:30 a.m. at Autumn Ridge Church, 3611 Salem Rd SW, Rochester, MN. A private burial service at Fort Snelling National Cemetery occurred on February 5th. Faith. Lorraine's unwavering faith was foundational and lasted her entire lifetime, from her birth on June 16, 1922 to her death on February 2, 2021, permeating all she did and sustaining her through good times and bad. Her 35+ years of Sunday School teaching and her near-lifetime membership at First Baptist Church (now Autumn Ridge) was just one manifestation of that faith. Her daily deeds were the other. If you knew Lorraine, whether as a Sunday school student or friend, you knew of her faith and that she'd encourage you to further strengthen yours during difficult times. Family. Her family, by every definition, was as large and important to her as her faith and friends. She and her husband, Raymond H. Wagoner, began their lives with their two children, Lois (Curran) and Steven, who were loved beyond words. With their hearts never full, Ray and Lorraine welcomed numerous children into their care, each and every one special and benefitting from their generosity and love. The most enduring and devoted, Denise Loxton, personified a daughter's love for a parent. Their devotion and pride in family extended to their many grandchildren and great grandchildren, too many to list, across expanding and blended families, further revealing their boundless love. Extended family reached far, spanning dozens of nephews and nieces and their families, each loved dearly. Later in life, following the deaths of their spouses, Lorraine married her second husband, Ralph "Red" Larson, who provided a second lifetime of love and care, and whose family became her own. After Ralph's passing, the care and companionship of Merle Crowe remained a constant and steady source of love and care to Lorraine for the rest of her life. Friends. A boundless circle of friends enriched Lorraine's life - and she, theirs. From treasured neighbors to friends across the country and around the world, Lorraine reveled in her connection to those she called her friends. An avid gardener, Lorraine loved little more than spending as much time as possible tending to the showpiece that was the yard at the family home. To this day, if you google that home address at 302 15th St. NE in Rochester and check the "Street View," you'll see Lorraine right there, in her green coat, watering the flowers in the yard. A fitting way to remember her. Lorraine was a proud longtime employee of IBM. During the WWII effort, she was a real life Rosie the Riveter who assembled bomb bay doors on B-2 bombers in California, where she would meet her future husband, Ray. If you knew Lorraine, you knew of her love for sharing stories, and connecting the dots between and among them. Her mind was an unfaltering steel trap and her ability to recall and share any story from every part of her life made every conversation a treasure. In lieu of flowers, donations to Autumn Ridge Church in Lorraine's name will be used for the care and upkeep of the round, stained glass window in the chapel. It is a picture of Jesus Praying in the Garden provided to the church by Lorraine and Ray in memory of their son, Steven. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Larson family. To share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com