Albert Laraway

Albert V. Laraway, age 91, of Willmar, passed away Friday evening, Dec. 29, at Bethesda Grand Nursing Home in Willmar.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 13, at the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar. Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery with military honors provided by the Willmar American Legion Post. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Albert Vernon Laraway was born December 12, 1926 in Ames, Iowa, the son of Charles,(Charlie) Hay Laraway, and Blaudwyn Jeanette (Newton) Laraway. Charlie was a cook who moved his family to Willmar when Al was a young child. On July 7, 1947, Al was united in marriage to Gladys E. Johnson in Willmar. They would be married for 65 years before Gladys passed away in 2013. Al held a variety of jobs over the years but was best known as a very capable heating and cooling expert. He worked for Magnuson Sheet Metal and Allied Gas for many years.

Al served two stints in the US Navy enlisting first in August of 1944, as a 17 year old getting in on the tail end of WWII and then again in June of 1951, when he was called up from reserves during the Korean conflict. He was a boiler tender during his first stint, then became a cook the second time; he said he wanted to be able to see the world and not just the bowels of the ship and figured he could use cooking skills when he got out. The Navy experience's took him around the world to many wonderful places and left him with memories he was fond of sharing with his family.

He is survived by four daughters, Heather (and Craig) Norris of Simi Valley, CA, Bonnie (and Ron) Jaspersen of Spicer, Cheryl (and Bruce) Long of Rochester, and Debbie (and Regi) Schindler of Salt Lake City, UT; twelve grandchildren, Jason (and Melanie) Norris, Chad (and Dara) Norris, Britton (and Aaron) Jasper, Jon Jaspersen, Jennifer (and Matt) Akerson, Jessica (and Ryan) Hastings, Jeanne (and Chris) Reznecheck, Drew (and Laura) Long, Chad Long, Sarah (and Jon) Padfield, Emily Franceus and Luke Schindler; seventeen great-grandchildren, Kate Norris, Haley Norris, Connor Norris, Nathan Jasper, Bennett Jasper, Ashley (and Sander) Akerson, Aubrey (and Benjamin) Browne, Amiah Akerson, Elle Hastings, Eagan Hastings, Emma Reznecheck, Elise Reznecheck; Alex Long, Daphne Long, Andrew Padfield, Bryce Padfield and Elliana Franceus; and numerous nieces and nephews, besides other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Gladys Laraway, two brothers, Charles H. (Bud) Laraway and Paul D. (Pete) Laraway and three sisters; Lillian (Herman) Gort; Jean (Donald) Haug and Marion (Dale) Helmer.

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