Larry Ohe

Larry passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in rural Rothsay on April 11, 2023, with family present. He was 73 years old. Larry lived his entire life on the family farm in Rothsay, Minnesota. Larry was an icon in the community and the school, a beloved brother and son, an idol and mentor to his nieces, nephews and their children, and an irreplaceable friend to countless others.

Everything Larry did in his life reflected exactly who he was and what was important to him. He took great pride in his country and saw nearly all of it (48 states) during his 45 years as a tour bus driver for Red River Trails. He collected memorabilia from his trips and valued the history it represented. Larry drove the Rothsay High School students to Washington DC more than forty times and especially enjoyed trips to Gettysburg. It was important to Larry that young people saw and learned about their country, and he was a wealth of information. Larry was always ready to lend a hand, troubleshoot a problem, make a contact (he knew everyone!) or help with a project - large, small or dirty. He had a special ability to connect with people and was known for his kind, considerate and genuine manner.

Following graduation from Pelican Rapids High School in 1967, Larry attended Alexandria Technical College for diesel mechanics. His first job was at Nord’s Auto Clinic in Rothsay where he worked several years, as well as serving in the Army Reserves from 1970 through 1976. He worked for the City of Rothsay for 25 years, retiring in 2015. Larry served on the Rothsay Fire Department for 36 years, including 10 years as chief. He was also a school bus driver for 52 years. In 2021 he was featured by WDAY news in a segment honoring his 50 years of service. Over this long career, he drove multiple generations of the same families. The school kids loved Larry, and riding his bus meant putting down your phone, looking out the window, and learning about the places you were driving through. He will be incredibly missed by these kids.

Larry’s appreciation of old things and his mechanical skills came together in his lifelong hobby of meticulously restoring Minneapolis Moline tractors. He could spot a fleck of Moline orange paint half-buried in a field or in a junk pile a mile away. This would set off a treasure hunt of acquiring parts, meeting people, learning the history of the machine, many stories, and countless hours of work. Larry drove his tractors (including his prized Unifarmor) in parades and brought them to shows in Dalton and the Steam Thresher’s Reunion in Rollag. Family and friends came too, sharing in the pride – and the fun - of Larry’s life’s work.

Larry’s legacy will live on throughout Rothsay – at the Truck Stop where he met friends for coffee - at the Powerhouse where he’d stop for happy hour and watch the Bison, and especially - at the Ohe family farm. The farm is everything that was important to Larry - family gatherings on the holidays, celebrating Norwegian heritage, nieces and nephews riding tractors, tinkering, and visiting with people he cared about. His family is eternally grateful for Larry’s faithful stewardship of this place we all consider home.

Larry was born on January 8, 1950 in Fergus Falls, Mn to Lawrence and Evelyn (Thompson) Ohe. He was preceded in death by his parents. Larry is survived by his four sisters, Carolyn (Harley) Howland of Bloomington, Mn; Mary Lou (Rob) Zimmermann of Otter Tail Lake, Mn; Linda Cariveau of Joliet, Il; Gail (Rich) Warn of Staples, Mn. Nephews and nieces Chip (Cindy) Howland, Dan (Kristina) Howland, Jody (Todd) Hansen, Andrea (Paul) Anderson, Brent (Mandy) Cariveau, Ross (Courtney) Cariveau, Linnea (Alex) Strunk, Allison (Jason) Ranallo, Laura (Joel) Lundeen. Grand nephews and nieces Megan, Jonas, Sofia, Eirik Howland; Kevin and Britta Hansen; Bjorn and Torsten Anderson; Dean, Ethan, Ace Cariveau; Daphne Strunk; Quinn and Hannah Ranallo; Elijah, Jona and Myles Lundeen.

Visitation: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 20, 2023 at Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls, with prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will resume one-hour prior to the service at the church.
Service: 11:00 a.m. Friday, April 21, 2023 at South Immanuel Church, rural Rothsay, MN. There will be lunch and fellowship immediately following the service at the Rothsay Event Center 124 1st Street NW Rothsay, MN 56579
Clergy: Reverend Phil Tobin
Interment: South Immanuel Cemetery, rural Rothsay

Arrangements provided by Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.
Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com