Missing the best time of his life
Missing the best time of his life
By ALLAN TINKER
A broken bone is no fun at any age, but at age 90 it became a barrier to participating in the farm life Richard (Dick) Larson recalls as the “best part” of his work life. He added that “a dollar went a lot farther in those days” then now.
With his movement aided by a walker, Larson has been at Sheridan Memorial Home for two years, which he views as a “good, clean place.” Before this, he lived in his own home in Wilton, ND, until his sons decided that it was unsafe for him to be alone.
Larson was raised on a farm with two brothers and four sisters, the son of William (Bill) and Florence Larson. He and his siblings worked for neighbors and he and a brother also worked for the coal mine (Ecklund Brothers) near Wilton. He loaded coal into underground carts pulled by horses.
Later, he also worked for another coal mining company, which he said is now part of the company that runs the Beulah Mine (Westmoreland).
During this time, he had tried to enlist in the US Army when his younger brother Harold’s name was on the draft list. His brother ended up in Germany but Dick was diagnosed with inflammatory rheumatism, which cut his military life short and he was sent home with a medical discharge. He returned to work at the coal mines, then went to farming.
