Elaine Ruth Larson

Former Goodland, Kansas resident, Elaine R Larson, 93, died peacefully on January 3, 2025, at the Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Watford City, North Dakota.

Elaine was born March 5, 1931, daughter of Fred and Ida (Peter) Peter in Goodland Kansas. She grew up in Goodland where she attended school and graduated from Sherman Community High School in 1950.

During her high school years, she worked at Nitz’s drug store and later at Duckwalls store. While in high school, her favorite subject was bookkeeping. Quite often she talked about the class and what she learned in it.

Elaine met and married Lawrence Larson on August 10, 1950. The couple lived on the Larson family farm where Lawrence lived and started their lives together. Elaine quickly fell into the routine of farm life from helping with milking and chicken chores and creating a home for them. She also helped with seasonal chores like stacking the bundles of feed into shocks to dry, then to the farm for winter cow feed. She helped with hailing wheat straw bales for bedding for the animals. Spring was helping fix pasture fence and other farm/ranch jobs that needed done. Elaine always said it just part of being a farm wife. They added a small pig operation to the farm and Elaine helped with this as well. 

On July 11, 1953, a daughter Joyce Elaine was born. Elaine enjoyed reading or playing games with Joyce. Elaine taught her some of the ins and outs and short cuts for cooking and also how to make big batches and freeze. Canning dill pickles were a must from the garden each year.

In 1973, the couple sold the section of family farm and moved to Goodland to live. For the fall start of school, Elaine worked at USD 352 as a cook’s helper in the lunchroom. She enjoyed her coworkers and the teachers, but her favorite was watching the children grow from year to year. She worked in the kitchen 25 years before retiring.

Once she retired, she spent time with her daughter, son in law and grandchildren. Living all in the same town made it easy for her.

She enjoyed watching game shows and mystery shows, working find a word puzzles, playing Yahtzee, Wahoo marble board game, playing pinnacle to name a few. She also enjoyed embroidering pillowcases, aprons and table toppers.

In 2016, Elaine moved to Watford City, ND after her mini stroke to live with her daughter and son in law. She lived in their home until 2021, when she was hospitalized for bronchitis and then moved to Good Shepherd Nursing home. The staff there was wonderful to her, treating her with great care and kindness.

Elaine is preceded in death by her husband Lawrence, her parents Fred and Ida Peter, and her sister Charlene Fritsch.

She is survived by her daughter Joyce (Ed) Lofland of Watford City, ND, grandson Larry (Julie) great grandsons Benjamin and Isaac of Etowah TN, Heath Lofland of Atwood Kansas, Cody Lofland (Allissa Rocha) of Hope Idaho and Tysen Lofland (Christine Kiger, Nyxon and Enslea )of Boise Idaho. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews as well and a multitude of cousins.

Memorial contributions may be made out to the Elaine Larson Memorial Fund and may left at the services or sent to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.