Larry Harthun

Larry Otto Harthun was born at home on Easter Sunday, March 24, 1940 to Edna (Ellingson) and Andrew Harthun near Dent, MN in Star Lake Township. Alongside family, he farmed, tended to animals, and ate tasty homemade meals. He recalled breaking his leg when his spirited galloping horse slipped on ice and fell on top of him, tipping a tractor over after hitting a hillside stump, and watching Edna swiftly milking the cows while Andrew would roll a cigarette. After country school, he attended Pelican Rapids High School, worked at a variety of jobs, and joined the U.S. Army on May 8, 1962. He did his basic training at Fort Rucker, AL before receiving his GED and auto maintenance training at Fort Jackson, SC and Fort Leonard Wood, MO. At Fort Bliss, TX, he was assigned as a POL Distribution Specialist to deliver fuels around the base, and remained on active duty there until May 7, 1964. Once his reserve duty ended on April 30, 1968, he received an Honorable Discharge as a Private First Class, earned a special Letter of Appreciation from Captain Maliko, and a Sharpshooter (rifle) merit. He often shared colorful stories of many adventures with his army buddies.
He met his wife, Jane (Korczak) Harthun, in Dent, MN in the spring of 1965, and they were married at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fargo, ND on November 6, 1965; they were married to each other for over fifty-nine years. Larry and Jane lived in Auburn, WA and various towns in central MN, including Rothsay for over twenty-five years. From 1966-1968, he worked as a production mechanic for Boeing, but his main career path was as a semi-truck driver. While employed at many businesses (Midland, Daggett, Foltz, Case, Evenson) he hauled a large variety of items, such as: gas, feed and grain, freight, and machinery. In order to support his wife and their busy family of four children, he worked hard to remain employed. He preferred to live close to his rural roots for most of his life as he formed many great memories and friendships during his upbringing.
Family functions were very important to Larry; he and Jane would frequently talk about the good old days dancing the polka and the two-step at many of these gatherings. He enjoyed listening and singing to classic country music, camping, deer hunting, fishing, playing harmonica and card games, eating out, and reading western novels. He loved to own and talk about John Deere tractors and many types of vehicles, especially Fords. Socializing was a favorite pastime; he always ran into people he knew from trucking or local towns, or family members, all of whom he enjoyed chatting with for hours. Recent family vacation summers were spent sipping a cold Pabst beer on the Blueberry Lake house deck with Jane by his side, admiring the water activity and tall trees.
His final years were mostly spent in West Fargo, ND, to be closer to medical facilities and to be cared for by his family. He lived the final weeks of his life at SMP Health – St. Catherine South, and passed away there from complications of COPD on Monday evening, February 3, 2025, surrounded with love from his children and their partners. His playful nature and sense of humor will be missed by those who knew him well.
Larry is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Carol Hexum, & Elaine Kawlewski, and brothers Harold, Raymond, Leroy & Glen and by his brothers-in-law Errol Hexum, Roger Kawlewski, and sisters-in-law Patricia 'Patty' (Raymond), & Karol (Glen) and his wife, Jane Harthun. He is survived by his siblings: Linda (Kenneth 'Kenny') Aune, and Marlin 'Bugs' (Robin Jones) Harthun & his sister-in-law Angie (Leroy); his four children: Julie Ries (Bill Smith), John, Lynn Bendickson (Brian), and Valerie (Cory Hass); his three grandchildren: Brittany and Brianna (John), and Sage (Lynn); and his three great-grandchildren.
Celebration of Life memorial service and reception will be held at West Funeral Services in West Fargo, ND at a date to be announced in the summer of 2025.
West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center
westfuneralhome.com
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Larry Harthun, please visit our floral store.