Norman P Larson, Jr.

Norman P. Larson, Jr., age 90, of Waconia, Minnesota, formally a longtime resident of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away on May 29, 2025, from congestive heart failure, with family by his side at the Waconia hospital.

Norman Palmer Larson, Jr., affectionately known as Junior within the Deaf community, was born in Jasper, Minnesota, to Norman Sr. and Bertha (Myklebust) Larson. He was later joined by his sister, Judy. At the age of five, he was enrolled at the Minnesota School for the Deaf (MSD/MSAD) in Faribault. Growing up on the family farm, Norman learned the value of hard work, milking cows, feeding sheep, hogs, and cattle, baling and stacking hay, and cultivating corn and soybeans. At school, he excelled in athletics, participating in basketball, football, baseball/softball, and track. After graduating in 1953, he worked as a printer for the Jasper Journal, a weekly newspaper. After relocating to Sioux Falls, he worked as a cement mason for Norlin Construction before beginning his lifelong career in 1965, with John Morrell and Company as a hog butcher. He retired in 1995 after 30 years of service. In retirement, he continued working for the Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD), performing construction and maintenance work.

In 1955, Norman met Maedora Stoebner at a South Dakota Association for the Deaf (SDAD) banquet and dance, held on the day of her high school graduation from the South Dakota School for the Deaf in Sioux Falls. They were married on June 6, 1956 and made their home in Sioux Falls, where they loving raised four children. Norman and Maedora were inseparable, and their 69-year marriage stood as a testament to their deep love for one another.

Norman was a tireless advocate for the deaf community.  He held leadership positions in the South Dakota Association for the Deaf (SDAD), Sioux Falls Association of the Deaf, Sioux Empire Sertoma Club, National Fraternal Society of the Deaf, Midwest Athletic Association for the Deaf and the National Association of the Deaf. (NAD). He was also a passionate supporter of the Junior NAD leadership camp in Northern Minnesota.  In recognition of his contributions, Norman was inducted into the MSD/MSAD Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997/1998 and the SDAD Deaf Hall of Fame in 2013 for his steadfast service to the Deaf community.

He was a longtime member of Eastside Lutheran Church and later Peace Lutheran Church. In retirement, Norman was a member of the South Dakota and Minnesota Deaf Senior Citizens groups. A few times a year, Norman and Maedora would return to Sioux Falls to attend the Thursday morning breakfast gathering with their lifelong friends, fondly dubbed The Breakfast Club by their children.

Known for his industrious spirit, Norman was arguably the hardest-working man his family and friends knew. As a teenager, he helped build a lean-to on the family barn to protect their equipment. Over the years, he taught himself a wide range of construction skills, helping friends with concrete work and home remodels, as well as leading major renovation projects for deaf organizations. Even in retirement, Norman and Maedora frequently visited their children to assist with home improvements. But life was not all work. Norman enjoyed camping trips with family and friends, playing softball, basketball, and bowling, and fishing with his family, especially his grandchildren. A couple of summers were spent volunteering as camp counselors during the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Week at Camp Knutson in Northern Minnesota. 

Grateful for having shared his life are his beloved wife, Maedora; his son, Ricky Larson (Diane), Concord, CA; daughters, Janice Crance (Robert), Lee’s Summit, MO, Carla Larson (Ronda Adelmann), Forest Lake, MN, Darla Huaman (Lenin), of Waconia, MN; 20 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Judy Glammeier, and granddaughter, Tiffany Langdon-Larson.

Memorials may be directed to Heartland Ephphatha Ministries at Peace Lutheran Church (peacelutheran.com/giving) in honor of their decades-long service providing American Sign Language worship and other services to the deaf community.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on June 7, 2025, at Peace Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The service will be livestreamed at peacelutheran.com/live. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church. A fellowship reception will follow. Interment will be at Hills of Rest Cemetery at 2:00 PM.