Larry W. Monson, 66, of Tony, WI, died peacefully, Wednesday, March 24, 2004 while at home after a brave and courageous short battle with cancer. He was born June 24, 1937 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the son of J. Richard and Margaret (Benson) Monson. He attended Eau Claire High School until his junior year and graduated from Bethany Lutheran High School, Mankato, MN in 1955 and continued on to Bethany Lutheran Junior College. \r\nHe returned to Eau Claire and attended UW-Eau Claire until he left for the U.S. Army. He served in the U.S. Army as a staff social worker at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from 1958 until his honorable discharge in 1961.\r\nLarry returned to Eau Claire to complete his undergraduate work in social work and later received his masters of social work at UW-Madison. He worked as a probation and parole officer throughout Wisconsin from 1963 to 1967 and finished this work in Rusk County. He then worked for the Gunderson Clinic in La Crosse as Director of the Social Work Department. In 1970, he became the Wisconsin State Director of the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse until his retirement in 1992. He then became the Program Director at L.E. Phillips-Libertas Center of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, retiring in 2002.\r\nLarry married Louise E. Sterlinske on November 2, 2002 in Eau Claire.\r\nHis hobbies were family and friends and what he could do for others. These activities included hunting, fishing and avid lawn care. He was known for his sense of humor and having fun. He had a very strong faith which helped him live the generous life he did. He was known to organize his family reunions and worked to keep everyone together celebrating life.\r\nSurvivors include his mother, Margaret of Eau Claire; wife, Louise; four daughters, Ann (David) Wiechmann of Plymouth,MN, Tamara (Matt) Hoyord of Mosinee, Mary Zinger of Eau Claire, and Stephanie Monson of Mosinee; fourteen grandchildren, Kate, Benjamin, Alyssa, Aimie, and Jordan Wiechmann, Kelsey, Troy and Aaron Hoyord, Jessica and Lorena Pena, Alex Cook, Marcus, Cassie, and Jenna Harrop; two brothers, Kenneth and Merle (Joann); sister, Mary Backstrom all of Eau Claire; many cousins and friends.\r\nHe was preceded in death by his father, J. Richard Monson in 1990; and infant sister, LaVonne.\r\nFuneral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, 2004 at Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3715 London Rd, Eau Claire with Reverend Frederick W. Theiste officiating. Burial will be in Rest Haven Cemetery, Town of Washington where VFW Post #305 will conduct military graveside rites. Family and friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home and an hour prior to services Tuesday at the church. \r\nFamily prefers memorials be directed to the American Cancer Society-Hope Lodge, 2427 N. Hillcrest Pkwy. Suite #103 Altoona,WI 54720-2602, Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3715 London Rd, Eau Claire 54701, Bethany Lutheran College, 700 Luther Dr., Mankato, MN 56001-6163 or the Larry W. Monson Memorial Scholarship Fund of the National Rural Alcohol and Drug Abuse Network, Inc., PO Box 40, Tony, WI 54563-0040.

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