Larry Ahlfs

Larry Ahlfs, 75 of Ottertail died Thursday, November 19, 2020, at his home.

We would like to thank you for participating in the delayed celebrating of Larry’s passing with our mom and grandma. Covid was in full force during this timeframe, and we had planned a spring celebration, when Covid would be behind us – it just didn’t materialize. Funeral homes were simultaneously newly impacted in the restrictions of holding services for loved one’s – navigating the in’s and outs of appropriate social distancing for services, and numbers allowed. It was a new and odd time for all of us. Added to this unknown complication of Stephanie’s cancer treatment completion just a few months out; and Joan in a high risk group with 24/7 assisted oxygen from myastivas gravis outcomes. Joan’s wish to us was to be buried with Larry. It was Jon’s insightfulness, we include Grandpa Larry within service planning, as we all gathered together 10 days ago in navigating and grappling with the reality, grandma was in transition to heaven.

++Larry Ahlfs passed away unexpectedly in his recliner on November 19, 2020 – just hours after spending the afternoon in his garage on a welding project, with his best bud, Roger.

Larry David Ahlfs was born on January 20, 1945, to Joseph and Evelyn (Wagner) Ahlfs, the fifth of five children, in New York Mills, MN. He attended St. John’s Parochial Lutheran school through 8th grade in Ottertail, MN; with high school attendance in Henning Public School. Introduced to Joan Wiek (Underhill), by Joan’s sister Judy and her husband, Cedric Haugen, a courtship soon blossomed. Larry and Joan were married on December 16, 1978. Prior to walking down the aisle, Larry’s idea was born to break ground for the building of what would later come to be called ‘The Big Blue House’. Together, Larry and Joan broke ground building their walkout rambler on Larry’s home dairy farm on West Leaf Lake, spending many long weekends and late nights in completing this building project; all this, in and around Larry managing the facts of dairy farming.

The facts of farming were born at a young age for Larry, when he made the decision to leave high school and take over farming – when his father, Joe, experienced a severe stroke, leaving his left side paralyzed, wheelchair bound, and unable to speak. Larry transitioned at 16, to the full-time farming responsibilities.

As described by oldest grandson Keenan, grandpa was a jack of all trades. Larry was an innovator (Sam’s word) – designing and welding a chicken feather plucker in the day, and soon after, the wood splitter that would be used many a year in wood cut and hauled home for winter heating. He welded and mounted the multi-deer hook for hunting season, used by himself, Jon and Jon’s boys in deer hunts galore. As noted by Nick, he was an enthusiastic listener of AM radio’s ‘Swap -n- Shop’ – perhaps not missing a single broadcast, while enjoying a cup of coffee sitting at the end of the bar countertop on his named stool. As Colin noted, Grandpa had a stubborn streak – definitely stood his ground on what he thought and believed and could be dang hard in ever admitting he might need help on something, that he might be wrong on this or that. Jack remembers him as always present and in the moment of what was taking place.

Larry’s obit would be incomplete without the inclusion of the many hunt season’s he participated within, the downfall of not enough room for the plethora of stories this earned. As stated by Dylan, “Grandpa was the Fred Bear type – absolute dead eye with any weapon of fishing pole.” Keenan noted, “He shot an old school recurve bow with pinpoint accuracy.” Larry spent the weekend before his passing - with Jon, Keenan, Dylan and Sam participating in his favorite pastime of deer hunting, landing 3 deer in all.

Words used to describe grandpa by Stephanie, Jon and his slew of grandsons: old school, industrious, curious, patient, funny, stubborn, jack-of-all trades, innovator, playful, proud, present, easy-going.

Larry is survived by two step-children, Stephanie (Brad Herzberg) Becker of Fergus Falls, her son’s Nick, Jack and Colin; and Jonathan Wiek of Deer Creek, his son’s Keenan, Dylan (great-grandson, Wesson), Noah, and Sam; sister-in-law’s, Pat Ahlfs, Lorraine (Jerry) Erickson, Rita (Bernal) Cichy, Mary Underhill; brother-in-law, Darrol Underhill; many nieces and nephews.

He is proceeded in death by his parents, Joe and Evelyn Ahlfs; sisters, JoAnn (Dave) Heine, Lucille Ahlfs and brothers, Jim and Dennis; niece, Barb Heine.

Memorial Service: 2:00 pm, Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Glende-Nilson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls with visitation two hours prior to the service.

Interment: Nidaros Lutheran Cemetery, rural Clitherall.

Funeral Home: Glende-Nilson of Fergus Falls.

+Condolences: GlendeNilson.Com