Dorothy Irene Larson

Dorothy Irene “Sally” “Dottie” Larson, 95, of Dakota City, passed away Friday, January 24, 2025, at a local hospital.

Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, January 30, 2025, at Dakota City United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Dakota City Cemetery.

Sally was born June 12, 1929, in a small farmhouse near Hartington, NE, the daughter of Frank and Mabel (Ballinger) Brandow. She attended Rose Hill rural school District 67. At the age of 8, she was ill with whooping cough followed by complications from scarlet fever. Sally was sent to the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital in Lincoln, NE for surgery and treatment. She wore a body cast and missed four months of school.

Sally graduated from Hartington High School in 1946, at the age of 17. She went to work as a stenographer in a state welfare office in Dakota City with an office in the Dakota County Courthouse.

In 1948, Sally married Curtis Wesley Larson, the love of her life, in Hartington, NE. He was the son of Kimball and Esther Larson of Wausa, NE. Curtis was a WWII Veteran. They enjoyed gardening, reading, camping, dancing, and spending time with their children. A special family tradition was spending Christmas Eve together and holding their own devotional service with everyone taking part. 

In 1949, they were baptized and joined the Dakota City United Methodist Church, where Sally served as missions coordinator for several years and one year on the PPR committee, along with three years spent as the church representative for Siouxland Metro Ministries. Sally was the secretary of the Women’s Society of Christian Service and later a charter member and treasurer of Dakota City United Methodist Women. Sally was also recording secretary of the American Legion Auxiliary #376 in Dakota City and a Girl Scout assistant for many years.

After the children were school age, she worked in the school kitchen for seven years and then was a fast-food cook in South Sioux City for twelve years.

Survivors include her children: Gary (Debbie) Larson of South Sioux City, Dann (Kay) Larson of Le Mars, IA, Rebecca (Dale) Grooms and Leah (John) Spencer of Lincoln, NE, Joy Rutar of Omaha, NE, and Kim Larson of Lincoln, NE; 13 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; brothers: Dwight Brandow of Coleridge, NE and David (Lanette) Brandow of Michigan; sister-in-law: Anne Danielson of Sioux City and Joan Larson of South Sioux City; brother-in-law: Jim Omdahl of Washington; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Mabel Brandow, husband Curtis, brother Ivan Brandow, and her brothers and sisters-in-law: Bob Danielson, Don Armstrong, Mary Lou Omdahl,  Janie Armstrong, and Murray Larson.