Donavon “Don” George Larson, 83, of Alma Center, passed away on October 10, 2023. Don was born on
October 31, 1939, to Edwin George and graduated from Hixton High School in 1957. He grew up in
Hixton, WI and graduated from Hixton High School in 1957. In 1958, he married Donna Lou Hansen and
they had three daughters. Don and Donna moved to Alma Center in 1962 when he purchased the Cities
Service gas station on Main Street. Some years later, he started the Alma Center Garage along with his
business partner, Jim Gaede. He had many fond memories of his years at the AC Garage working with
Jim and Dale Cummings, lifelong friends and coworkers. Don enjoyed car shows and auto auctions, but
he mostly loved the day to day work he did fixing and painting cars. He also had a passion for restoring
vintage cars and took pride in the process. After retirement, Don kept busy taking care of the trees and
plants in his yard. He enjoyed feeding and watching the birds and squirrels that visited. He would often
tell people just how much the birds and squirrels ate!
Over the years, Don served as a fireman, a member of the Village Board and as Mayor. He was very
proud of the community he lived in. He was also very proud of his Norwegian heritage and the
Norwegian flag that hung on his flagpole. A landmark for their home was the Norwegian Troll statue that
graced the front lawn of their home. He stayed in regular contact with his family in Norway.
Don was a loyal, proud, loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Donna;
daughters Catherine (Dean) Erickson, Louise (Harry) Janke, and Jennifer (Scott) Gearing; his
grandchildren Ali (Ryan) Facklam, Whitney Gearing, Beau (Erin) Janke, Zachary Gearing and Hailee (Tom)
Riley; and with his great grandchildren, Leonelle and Fletcher Janke. It was common for Don to say to his
family how lucky he was to have lived such a long and happy life.
Visitation for Don will be held Friday, October 20 from 4-7pm at the Jensen-Modjeski Funeral Home in
Hixton and from 10-11am on Saturday, October 21 at the United Methodist Church in Alma
Center. Funeral services will be held at the church at 11am with lunch to follow.
The Jensen-Modjeski Funeral Home is assisting the family, 715-963-2311.
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