Milo Larson
Milo Larson, age 82, of Canby, Minn., passed away on Monday, May 25, 2026, at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. Memorial service took place Saturday, May 30, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Canby, with burial at the Canby City Cemetery. Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel of Canby, was entrusted with the arrangements.
Milo Elmer Larson was born on September 4, 1943, to Elmer and Avice Larson in Watertown, S.D. He grew up on a farm in Grant County, S.D., and was active in 4-H, showing Herefords from the Larson family farm. There was also time for playing ball on the farm with Uncle Clifford (Shorty) and younger brother Orlyn, which was the beginning of a lifelong passion for sports.
Milo began his education at a country school near Troy, S.D., and continued it in Strandburg, S.D. His love of sports took off during those years, playing football, basketball, baseball, and track. Later in life, he loved to tell stories about ball games he played in gyms across South Dakota (including the famous Corn Palace), often prompted by recognizing a last name in a box score in the Watertown newspaper and surmising that it was the grandchild of somebody he played against in high school.
After graduating from Strandburg High School in 1961, Milo joined several other Strandburg alumni at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. This proved to be a monumental decision that shaped the rest of Milo’s life as it was where he studied to become a teacher and, most importantly, met his future wife Judy.
Upon graduating from Gustavus in 1965, Milo got a teaching job in Canby. He and Judy were married in 1967 and quickly established deep roots in Canby, living in the same house on East View Road since 1972. They were inseparable over 57 years of marriage, playing golf, attending sporting events, fishing, and spending time with family and friends. He was proud of the fact that he played at more than 200 different golf courses across the country. Nobody could turn a chance encounter with a stranger on the first tee into a new friendship faster than Milo.
Milo spent 35 years teaching business education to Canby High School students. He taught them how to type, how to record debits and credits, and simply how to have a great day. In addition to teaching, Milo became a fixture in the Canby sports scene. He ran the summer rec program and Little League, coached junior high boys basketball, officiated countless junior high basketball and football games, announced Lancer football games, attended thousands of events as a fan, and led the golf program for 46 years. He was a teacher and a coach in the truest sense of those words and was inducted into the Canby High School Hall of Fame in 2023. He was involved in numerous service organizations and projects over the years and spent decades as an usher at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church.
Milo was a people person and possessed a genuine kindness that touched everyone he met. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He passed away in Sioux Falls on May 25 at the age of 82 and will be deeply missed.
Milo is survived by daughter: Jill (Kent) Vettrus of Hartford, S.D.; son: Scott (Cherie) Larson of Forest Lake, Minn.; grandchildren: Noah Vettrus, Haley (Caleb) Hotchkiss, Kinsey Larson, Cooper Larson, and Chloe Larson; brother: Orlyn (Kris) Larson; brothers-in-law: George (Ginny) Boline and Art (Barb) Boline; sister-in-law: Connie Boline; and many nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Judy Ann Larson; parents, Elmer and Avice Larson; parents-in-law, Arthur William and Helen Boline; and brother-in-law Charles Boline.