Lawrence "Larry" William Thole

Lawrence "Larry" William Thole, age 87, longtime resident of Raymond, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 12, at the Clara City Care Center.

Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 27, at St. Clara’s Catholic Church in Clara City.  Arrangements are entrusted to the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Larry, as he was known all his life, was born October 2, 1938, in Minneapolis, MN., to George Sr. and Ramona (Gahr) Thole. The first of five children, Larry spent most of his childhood in the Fletcher, Rogers and St. Michael area. Larry graduated from St. Michael High School and went on to attend the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, receiving both his Bachelor’s and master’s degree in Secondary Education. He taught junior high and high school science for 42 years, starting in Browns Valley MN before teaching in Raymond and MACCRAY for 40 years. He was active outside the classroom as well, leading knowledge bowl teams, negotiating teacher contracts for the district, and running the score clock at sporting events.

Early in his career, Larry was a summer migrant-school teacher where he met Evangelina (Angie) Rodriguez whom he married November 28, 1970, often remarking it was the best thing he ever did. The couple settled in Raymond, MN where they raised their two children, Ann and Elizabeth. As two of his countless students, Ann and Liz endured his teaching multiple years and made the mistake more than once of calling him dad instead of Mr. Thole, which resulted in at least one detention. No matter the subject, Larry did his best to make learning fun and memorable. The stories shared by past students are evidence that he made a difference in the lives of many. He knew a little about everything and a lot about a lot of things.

Larry was a person of routine, which served him well and always provided a topic of conversation. He ate the same lunch every school day (sandwich, banana or apple, and Oreo cookies). He read the newspaper in the same order, always finishing with the daily crossword puzzle. In retirement, he walked uptown to get the mail every day. The local weather forecast on the 8’s on the Weather Channel was rarely missed and he made sure anyone in the line of storms was made aware.

A member of the Raymond community for more than 60 years, Larry seemed to know everyone and established strong friendships, as evidenced by his many visitors and helping hands once he entered memory care at the Clara City Assisted Living in 2023.

Larry was a unique dementia resident who would remind staff that he didn’t remember things. This meant you never knew if he was pulling a fast one on you when he said he didn’t know where he was or who you were – he kept the staff on their toes. Many one-liners and songs were shared daily. Even through his dementia, he kept his sense of humor and carried on conversations with anyone who had a listening ear.

Larry is survived by his children Ann Thole and Elizabeth (Steve) Saevig; his granddaughter, Kiera; four siblings, James (Janet) Thole, Catherine (Bob) Phelps, George (Elaine) Thole, and Michael Thole; ten siblings-in-law Catarino Rodriguez (Emilia), Maria De La Luz Rodriguez, Graciela Saiz, Gilberto Rodriguez (Linda), Gabriela Limón (Abel), Elvira Rivera (Jesse), Guadalupe Rodriguez, Raquel Salas (Juan), Rene Rodriguez (Dave), and Esmeralda Alexandar (LeRoy); numerous nieces and nephews; and two godchildren, Denise (Thole) Du Vernay and Emily (Volz) McCabe.

Larry is preceded in death by his wife Angie in 2024, his parents, George Sr. and Ramona Thole, his parents-in-law Jesus Sr. and Raquel Rodriguez, siblings-in-law Elia Rodriguez, Jesus Rodriguez Jr. and Reymundo Saiz, and two nephews, Curt Phelps and Scott Thole.