Barbara E. Larson

Barbara E. Larson, age 74, of Garretson, passed away on Monday, December 22, 2025, at the Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson. Interment will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Monday, at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Garretson American Legion Auxiliary or the Garretson Fire Department Building Fund.

Barb was born on August 2, 1951, in Dell Rapids, to Milton and Margaret (Nolte) Leuning. She grew up on a farm in Rock County, Minnesota, east of Garretson and attended country school until 7th grade. She graduated from Garretson High School in 1969. She then attended college at Southwest State University in Marshall. She would later graduate from the University of Sioux Falls with a degree in Business Administration. While in high school, she fell for the love of her life, Gale Larson. They were married on May 15, 1971, at the United Church of Christ in Garretson. After their marriage, Barb lived in Germany while Gale was stationed there in the Army. They returned to Garretson and spent 44 years living on their farm near EROS. Barb began working for the EROS Data Center in 1974 when it was only one year old. She stepped away from EROS for a few years while her kids were young but returned and worked there until retiring in 2013. She also babysat many neighbor and EROS kids during her time away from EROS. In 2018, Gale and Barb moved into Garretson, and then in 2022 they moved to Sioux Falls. During retirement, she loved spending time with her grandchildren and attending many of their events.

Barb was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson, and the Garretson American Legion Auxiliary. She loved animals…especially her cats. She was also well known as being matriarch of Larsonfest (the yearly summer get together at the Larson farm).

Survivors include her husband, Gale, Garretson; children: Tom (Angela) Larson, Marshall, MN, Brian Larson, Kearney, NE, and Beth Welch, Garretson; grandchildren: Tristan Fales, Trevor (Julia) Fales, Tanner (Cassie Fox), Fales, Sarah Welch, Marty Welch (Samantha Reil), Dylan Larson, and Sydney Larson; siblings: Joan (Gene) Costello, Sioux Falls, and Paul (Alison) Leuning, Luverne; and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded her parents, Milton and Margaret (Nolte) Leuning, brother, Warren Leuning, Gale’s parents, Art and Bernice Larson, and brother-in-law, Jim (Barb) Larson.