Thief River Falls – Deborah Larson, 61, of Thief River Falls, passed away peacefully on October 29, 2025, at her home.
Born on July 27, 1964, in Minneapolis to Jack and Mary Lou Rindahl, Debbie moved with her family shortly after birth to the Oklee area and later to a farm north of Gully where she spent her formative years helping with chores and watching her younger siblings. She was baptized and confirmed at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Trail and graduated from Oklee Public School in 1982.
After high school, Debbie attended Hibbing Community College before taking a nannying position in Long Island, New York. Choosing to return closer to her roots, she worked for Pennington County Abstract. She later stepped away from the workforce to raise her children, eventually spending 26 years at DigiKey, with additional time at the Pennington County DMV and The Times.
On June 30, 1984, Debbie married her high school sweetheart, Gerald Larson at Nazareth Lutheran Church. The couple began their life together near Oklee, later moving to the family farm north of Gully (which had been previously described by Gerald as “not the end of the earth, but you can see it from here”) for nine years before settling in Thief River Falls. They were blessed with four children and five grandchildren, who were the joy of Debbie’s life. She cherished summers at the lake, tending her garden, and canning and cooking for her family. Debbie was an active member of Nazareth Lutheran Church in Trail formerly and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls currently.
Debbie is survived by her husband, Gerald; her children, Derrick (Jacinda) Larson, Brenden Larson, Dana (Dacotah) Larson, and Zachery Larson; her grandchildren, Lexie DeFrang, Aubree Larson, Teague Larson, Lipp Mattison, Milo Robinson; her siblings, Rhonda (Kim) Vettleson, Lisa (Dan) Staudinger, Michele (Brandon) Cottrell, Rick (Ellen) Rindahl, Lindsi (Ben) Shanahan, Tara (Chris) Schmidt; sisters-in-law, Shelly (Kevin) Kuchynski, Lisa (Benji) Hofstad; brother-in-law, Garth Larson; stepfather, Steve Schmidt; parents-in-law, Edward and Sharon Larson.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack Rindahl and Mary Lou Schmidt; grandparents, Milo and Lily Cantwell, and Orland and Esther Rindahl; brother, Benji Rindahl; and brother-in-law, Randall Larson.
A prayer service was held at 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2025, with visitation beginning at 5 p.m., at Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls.
The funeral was held at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 3, 2025, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls.
The burial to followed at Nazareth Lutheran Church, Trail. Lunch was served at Nazareth.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com.
A00003B2025NV05