In Memory of Andy Larson

This past weekend my wifes family celebrated the life of their father/grandfather/greatgrandfather Andy.
Andy was born in the early 1900’s and lived as a strong husband, father, carpenter, farmer and finally a business man. But these trades in no way describe the inspirational person Andy was and still is.
As I’m sitting here writing this tears are coming to my eyes, as I simply think about this mans character. He truly was living as Chirst desires his disciples to live.
Kindness poured from him, I only knew him when he and Carol (Rachels grandmother) were in the nursing home together, but I distinctly remember the first time shaking his hand and feeling a sense of peace some over me. When listening to stories about his life from many different people they all seemed to center around this gentle helpful spirit (people were not just being polite he actually lived his life to this tune).

During the summers Andy and Carol would take the grandkids for weeks at a time. Rachel describes this time as simply amazing. Her grandparents made the time to take the kids for weeks at a time. It seemed to me as I’ve heard story upon story about the RV that they had and how they basically traveled from one family to the next to spend time with them and lend them a helping hand how lucky they all were. I think of most grandparents as being retired and doing what they want to do, golfing, tinkering around in the shop, doing almost anything except taking the grandkids for weeks at a time.

It seemed like Andy and Carol took this weight upon themselves that they didn’t have to, they did it by choice, much like I feel I am called to live like Christ and take part of his burden upon me. Every day I forget to do this but the way Andy lived day in and day out showed that it wasn’t a choice he had to make, he just did it. A great story about this generosity was their was a family member who was in need and he gave the RV to them to help them out. That shows the priority which people were in Andy and Carols life.
Andy was a member of his small community of Dawson, MN for 57 years and people described him as handy Andy. He could fix just about anything and helped everyone. At his funeral the church was packed, and a good chunk of it was family but typically for a man in his 90’s you don’t have that many people at the funeral. His impact on this world was and still is amazing and it lives on in his family and lives on in me.

As some day I want to be a father, I can think of no better example than the life which he led (besides Jesus) to model. He was and will always be remembered as a loving man who walked the footsteps of Jesus. Andy you inspire me and many others.

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