School Community Remembers Timothy Larson at Memorial Service

Scores of students, parents, teachers, staff and others arrived at the St. Michael Historic Church in St. Michael Wednesday evening to grieve the loss of respected teacher Timothy Larson, and to seek solace in the company of one another.

“Some of you may be feeling that this is a bad dream, and you want to wake up,” said Pastor Durk Peterson of , which now calls this Historic Church home. “Some of you may be just totally disgusted and angry, and that’s O.K.”

Middle School West principal Andrew Merfeld reached out to the crowd and shared his memories of a man who he said “lived his life for everybody else.”

In addition to running marathons to raise more than $21,000 to find clean water sources in South America and Africa, Merfeld said Larson changed his students’ lives in profound ways.

“I see some kids out here who have come a long, long way–from struggling in different areas in their lives to working hard, making good decisions, and doing the right thing,” he said.

“He was a great father; he was a great teacher,” Merfeld added. “I’ve never seen a more solid teacher for these type of students, who need a lot of support. He took care of them very, very well, and he was very proud of [them].”

Peterson urged attendees to seek comfort in knowing that Larson, who had a strong faith in God, is now “united with his heavenly Father.” It is those he left behind, Peterson said, especially Larson's wife and two sons, ages 12 and 9, who are suffering and need love and support to carry on.

“He was a person who celebrated life. Every time you asked him, he said he was having a ‘blessed’ day, and he never changed that no matter what was going on in his life,” Merfeld said. “I challenge you to do the same.”