Larson, Amy E., age 95, of Anoka, passed away January 23, 2023.

Amy lived in Coon Rapids until she married her high school sweetheart, Ed, in December 1948 after seven years of courtship and having recently graduated from the Swedish Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis in May 1948. After marriage, she and Ed lived the rest of their lives in Anoka. Amy was the 1944-45 Anoka HS Senior Class Secretary and homecoming queen. She worked as a nurse until she and Ed started a family in 1951, after which she was primarily a homemaker; at times she returned to working as a nurse once their three daughters were older.

Alongside her beloved husband, Amy gave countless, unforgettable memories of precious times at home, and good times fishing, sledding, and going to Paul Bunyan Land at their sweet cabin on Upper Mission Lake. For 18 years they held and funded the annual family reunion that took place on the North Shore to connect the family from points afar, and this tradition continues today. The memory of singing Amazing Grace around the campfire on the last night will stay in each family member's heart forever.

Amy loved nature and gardening; the woods and wildlife at their final home in Anoka became a sanctuary and constant source of joy and comfort. She loved "my girls" and delighted in her grandchildren, for whom she often provided childcare. Having grown up in very humble conditions, she had a heart for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, always rooting for the underdog. Her upbringing also instilled a resilient gift of thriftiness as she was an avid recycler, even before it entered public consciousness. Along with her husband, Amy supported numerous charities and their home church. These are values she passed down to her family.

Amy also enjoyed traveling, visiting with her family and friends, and meeting new people all over the country during their family trips and through attending 18 Elderhostel's with her husband. Amy's faith was deep, she was always actively participating in Bible study groups in earlier years, and reading scripture with her husband, which gave her great comfort. She was a favorite and well-loved among aides and the kitchen staff during her final years at Walker Methodist Plaza in Anoka, and would often be visited by staff.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 71 years, Edward Larson; parents, Ivar and Marie (Rönnholm) Waldeen; brother; Herbert (Mildred) Waldeen; sister, Elsie (Carl) Sinn; sister, Eva (Ed) Beach; sister, Verna (Harold) Bartholow; brother, Edwin Waldeen; and sister Joan Waldeen.

Amy is survived by her children, Debra (Charles) Baarsch, Betsy Larson (Michael Schroeder), Kitri (Herman) Kyllo; grandchildren, Jonathan (Janet) Baarsch, Joseph (Janelle) Baarsch, Kathryn (Luke) Numrych, and Christina (Elliot) Welter; great-grandchildren, Peri, Suwannee, Solomon, Annabelle, Victor, Tristian, and Maxwell; also, many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, February 3, 2023, at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Anoka, at 11am with a Visitation one hour prior.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Salvation Army or Mt. Olive Lutheran Church of Anoka.