Donald Albert Larssen, longtime Newkirk area resident, died at 12 noon on Monday, Sept. 16, 2019 in the Ponca City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. He was 73.

The son of Delmer Albert and Mildred Louise (Skaggs) Larssen, Don was born Nov. 5, 1945 in Arkansas City. He grew up in rural Newkirk and began his education in OK Rural School. He then attended Newkirk Jr. High School and Newkirk High School. On Dec. 7, 1963 Don and Carolyn Sue Allen were married in the IXL Baptist Church in the Bolton Community of Arkansas City. They made their first home on a 40 acre farm east of Arkansas City, and he was employed at the Arkansas City Flour Mill as an oiler. Later he was employed by Case Implement in Newkirk. When the owner closed the business due to ill health, Don was sent to Fairview to work for the company there. The family later was moved to Miami, Tex. and then to Perryton, Tex. In 1981 they returned to Newkirk, and he purchased the building he had worked in years earlier and opened Don’s Auto Repair. After 26 years of business, Don and Sue moved to Weston, Colo. Near their eldest daughter and her family. They loved living in Colorado, and Don, a carpenter at heart, built their cabin around their 5th wheeler. Seven years later they returned to the Newkirk area and lived in Kaw City since.

Don was a member and Deacon of the Oak Grove Baptist Church where he also served as the sound system operator. A longtime CB radio man, he was a member of REACT. In his early days he handle was Froggy, and later changed it to Jingles. He was a staunch Republican and a huge Trump supporter. He even kept up with Trump’s Twitter. Don excelled at riding a unicycle, and he rode it to work and used it during work. He was very computer savvy and enjoyed his computer work. He wrote a program for the Newkirk Herald, some of the school teachers and others in town. In earlier years he enjoyed learning to fly small planes. He raised homing pigeons for many years. He loved to tell you that you were wrong and just why you were wrong, creating a really good argument. Don especially loved his brother Carl. They often had tractor pulls, and Don would build cars that Carl would drive in races. He absolutely loved family gatherings and Kentucky Fried Chicken. He cherished his wife Sue and their family.

Don is survived by Sue, his wife of almost 56 years; their children, Shelly and Charley King of Van Horn, Tex., Kathy and Fred Landis of Ponca City, Christina and Bill Sprueill of Kaw City, and a foster son and his wife, Jace and Myra Holmes of Atlanta, Ga; his siblings, Mary Ann Johnson of Kansas, Linda Singleton of Ponca City, Martha McFarlane of Wichita and Carl Larssen of Newkirk; six grandchildren, Tyler Don King, Chelsea Trujillo, Courtney Beck, Caleb Landis, David Sprueill and Brittany Sprueill; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by an infant son, Donald A. “Butch” Larssen, Jr.; his parents, and a sister, Donna Larssen.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 in the Oak Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Gary Wilburn officiating. Interment will follow in the Newkirk Cemetery under the direction of Miller-Stahl Funeral Service. The body will lie in state at the funeral home Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Those serving as casket bearers will be Tyler King, Caleb Landis, David Sprueill, Adam Beck, Bob Randol and Mike Landis. Honorary bearers are Ernie Pettit and Larry Gilmore.

The family request that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in Don Lars-sen’s name to Humanity Hospice, 1109 N Bryant Ave #100, Edmond, OK 73034-3623. paid obituary