Leroy was a member of our Scandinavian torsk club, “Saga Klubben”, for many years and we often had the pleasure of hearing him play. We’ll miss our friend. May he Rest In Peace while his music lives on.

To the family of Le Roy Larson,

Randy and I got to know your dad very well over the years when he lived next door to us in Lakeland Shores. We would have our weekly beverages on the deck or sitting in the driveway, sharing a meal on occasion with many great stories and music. He joined us for birthday celebrations, graduations and always brought a lot of cheers. When I spoke to Barrett a few days ago I was sad to hear that he was nearing his final days here with you, but I do know that Randy welcomed your dad in heaven with open arms, his favorite beverage and a warm smile. They are playing music together. If you ever get in the area please stop by. Blessings to you and your family. Reggie Kopesky

Thank you, Mr. Larson, for your contribution to the establishment of La Crescent High School and for building up the minds and spirits of the many students you taught. We loved our school – and still do. We will remember you with love.

We met Leroy in Hudson, WI. He enjoyed telling jokes and discussing music. Mostly discussing music. very talented man. RIP Leroy

I remember going to hear Leroy back in the 1970s when he played regularly at the Ground Round in Roseville. He seemed like such a nice man. Later, when I started playing in the Twin Cities music scene myself, our paths crossed from time to time, my impression of Leroy as a nice guy was 100 percent confirmed. That was when I came to understand Leroy’s deep knowledge of many folk music genres, especially Scandinavian music. I enjoyed Leroy’s very dry sense of humor. He was beloved by many and will be sadly missed, but his music will live on. In addition to my own condolences, I’d like to include those of the Twin Cities Musicians Union, Local 30-73, of which Leroy was a member for over 50 years (he joined on December 22, 1969!).

LeRoy was a musical one of a kind. LeRoy completed his studies as Bemidji State just before his brother David, a trumpet player and I, a saxophonist, roomed together at Birch Hall on campus. That began a near life-long trend of attending events to listen to LeRoy’s music in the summer at outdoor concerts throughout the twin cities. He never missed noticing Ginny and me among the audiences and making remarks about our early musical linkages and jokes about Norway and Finland. We, like others, will miss him and every about him but wlll think about the Larson brothers and their joy of music every time we are out on Lake Waconia.

My mom hired Leroy and band to play for her mom at Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Stillwater 1997 and I hired Leroy to play for my mom at her senior daycare 2018 . What a wonderful time for my mom and grandmother , Leroy was a wonderful person and a great musician, the residents and audience were just thrilled !! Thank you Leroy !!

LeRoy was such an important champion of traditional Scandinavian music, especially dance music, and was a frequent performer at the American Swedish Institute. He and Mel Brenden were a regular feature of our Sunday smorgasbord dinners for years. He had a great wit and was greatly appreciated by our community. He’s left behind a tremendous legacy and will not be forgotten, but greatly missed.

LeRoy affected so many with his music, humor, and dedication. He was a great performer, documentarian, and all-around exemplar of the Upper Midwest’s Scandinavian folk music traditions. I was lucky to know and occasionally work with him over the past 40 years; and we’re fortunate he had the foresight to donate his remarkable musical collections to the University of Wisconsin’s Mills Music Library. For those interested in his musical life and legacy, here is a link to a profile of LeRoy, with additional links to the LeRoy Larson Collection.
https://folklife.wisc.edu/2018/05/18/leroy-larson-preserving-scandinavian-folk-music-in-the-upper-midwest/

When Cousin LeRoy was working on his PhD at the U.of Mn., and I was doing undergrad ; he treated me to a concert at Northrop auditorium where Ravi Shankar played his sitar!! It was very special!! I also regularly consult the Sherva book that he helped research. Many special memories deer hunting at the farm in Leonard, Mn, with his brother David, his father Harry, my dad and uncle Johnny and other fam., and the wonderful hospitality of his mother Gena!! Those guys would jam on music into the night starting when I was 11!! RIP, Cuz!!

My fondest memories of LeRoy are from the time we were growing up on adjoining farms in Clearwater County Minnesota. Even in those days LeRoy his brother David and I played ukuleles for school 4-H club and church events. I remember well the day LeRoy’s first banjo arrived by mail from “Montgomery Ward”. I believe we were about 8 at the time
We were attending the District 69 one room school with about 20 children aged about 6-13 covering grades 1 through 8 LeRoy’s mother Gena taught us for a few years of that time
It was a good free period of our lives doing farm work, playing sports and music and many other activities.
We went on to Clearbrook High School and played trumpets in the high school band
After High School LeRoy went on to teach music and preform, David went on to play his trumpet with the New Jersey Symphony orchestra where he still is today.
We did manage to stay in touch and enjoy each other’s company until today.
LeRoy will be missed.

Sincere sympathy to LeRoys family! When he visited my family farm. LeRoy and the Sherva Boys filled the living room with music. Some of my fondest memories!

Our family has many happy memories with LeRoy over the 36 years that he was married to our sister, Dione. We first met LeRoy at the Ground Round which was the start of a friendship that included many years of music and laughter. For many Christmases, LeRoy would bring his banjo and ukulele to Northwest Iowa where he would entertain us with Christmas sing-a-longs. We sure had fun! Our twin boys, Nicholas and Jordan, now 32, enjoyed having their Uncle LeRoy as the featured special guest entertaining at their elementary school. During the BIX jazz years in Davenport, Iowa, LeRoy was known to be an impromptu performer joining in with other musicians from around the country. He loved to tell stories and jokes, loved his “pride and joy”, and delighted in seeing people having a great time. One year I (Dorole Deane) gave LeRoy a murse as a Christmas gift—which was a cross between a purse and a men’s brief case. With his antics, we all doubled over in laughter as he proceeded to model his new murse.

He brought great joy and happiness to our now deceased mother and father and brother Curtis. We are grateful for the time that we shared with him. We offer our sincere sympathies to his children, his many friends, and his loved ones.

Dione’s Sisters: Dorole Deane and Aaron King and Nephews Jordan and Nicholas King
Natalie and Kevin Snyder

Leroy will be remembered for his sense of humor, passion for music and love of his family.
RIP

LeRoy was a good friend and colleague from our days at Bemidji State College, and teaching at LaCrescent. A fine Music Educator, Composer, and Banjo Artist with a sense of humor that could brighten any day.

Elaine and Louis Witt

I attended Bemidji State with Leroy and David Larson and performed together with them for many choral and instrumental concerts. One of my favorite college memories is from deer hunting season where I was invited to spend the weekend.at their family home. In the evenings we would “jam” with their father Harry at the piano.
Later Leroy and I roomed together while attending Indiana University. Leroy was a talented musician with a love for Scandinavian Folk Music. He brought the joy of music to thousands through his performances, research, and composition.

Mr. Larson was my music teacher in Climax, Mn. He gave me my flute lessons, pushed me to do my best. He directed our band, choir, solo members and ensembles to do the best to our ability. And, it showed. Climax was a musical talent driven by a master of music direction. His brother, several times visited our concerts with his talent of trumpet solos with our band accompanying.
Mr. Larson was a true gift to all students in music education. RIP, Mr. Norski!

I treasure the memories of my brother LeRoy from all our years of being together. As my “big brother,” who was 4 years older, his presence and influence guided me through much of my early years of life, especially with my involvement with music. He was so willing to teach, but I also learned so much from him just by observing him.

Our father came from a musical family, with his mother being the local church organist, and his youngest brother a piano player who formed his own professional jazz band.
Our mother encouraged us to always do our best. Mother taught for 25 years in the one-room school house setting in our farm community. She set a good example for us, as LeRoy did for me.

During our elementary school years together, LeRoy and I began learning to play our newly ordered ukuleles. Dad was very encouraging. We soon became good enough where persons from various clubs would send inviting messages requesting the Larson brothers to come “play and sing” for the club meeting entertainment. We played most often at our own 4-H monthly meetings.

As we outgrew our ukuleles, our next order from the Montgomery Ward catalog was for a banjo and a mandolin. Since first hearing the banjo ever played from a musician of a local wedding dance band, LeRoy decided that the banjo would become his favorite choice of musical instruments to play.

When LeRoy brought home a trumpet after joining the middle school band, for having some fun I tried to play it, but began to like it, soon choosing trumpet to be my preferred musical instrument.

During our 4-H club years, LeRoy organized a musical trio by asking Gwen Olson to play piano with us. We named it the Sinclair Sunbeams Trio, after our 4-H club. We played music from the American Standard Songbook. We most often won first place whenever we entered talent contests, at county fairs for example, and even placed as a winner at the Minnesota State Fair.

LeRoy received a college degree in music from Bemidji State University and a Master of Music from the graduate school at Indiana University. I can imagine him thoroughly researching various college programs,
and I do agree with his choices, since four years later, I followed my “role model” on his same path to acquire similar college music degrees, and from those same universities.

Whenever I would come to Minnesota to visit family, usually twice a year and from New Jersey, I would go with LeRoy to all his gigs, sometimes even sitting-in to play trumpet with the band.
LeRoy, with Ross Scalise on piano, played at the Ground Round in Roseville six nights a week for many years.
LeRoy was a great musician and entertainer. He enjoyed mingling with his audience, showing to others his friendly, humorous and loving personality. I can imagine his listeners finding every performance most impressive and memorable.
I remember during the playing of Rossini’s William Tell Overture, the theme music for the ” Lone Ranger” radio show, people became so excited with the music, plus having drunk enough beer for the ride, would turn their chairs around to ride them, galloping in the line with other riders, to the outside parking lot!

Our daughter Gabrielle is 13 years old. She plays the cello. Occasionally she would remind us of her wish for us to fly to Minnesota so she could meet Uncle LeRoy and her cousins. Then Covid-19 arrived!
In November when Laura, Beret and Erik (LeRoy’s two daughters and one son) were visiting LeRoy, with our plan to use FaceTime, Gabrielle met LeRoy and her cousins. We played several cello and trumpet duets along with favorite Christmas carols.
I have played the trumpet for 65 years and I am presently completing my 51st year/season with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra!

I am glad to have continued the usual weekly good telephone talks with LeRoy, the last one being on November 3, after which it became too difficult for LeRoy to use the telephone.

I miss LeRoy dearly! He has always been and will remain as an important part of who I am.
Thanks Lee!

LeRoy’s daughter Laura sent me an email on Christmas morning from the funeral home, and I quote:
“Dad is with the angels in heaven on Christmas Day. He looks at peace.”

Gena, our mother, passed on the day after Christmas in 1985 at the age of 82.

My love, appreciation and thanks to: Laura, Beret and Eric; Dian and Dione,
and to my Minnesota friends: Cousin Dick, Buzz & Birdie, Myron & Ginny, and Gwen

David, you don’t know me, but I was a LaCrescent High School trumpet student of Leroy. I remember that one day I came to my trumpet lesson with Leroy, and you were there with him. Leroy asked you to play a few pages out of the Arban’s book. I was astounded by hearing you play fast, hard passages with proficiency and ease. That trumpet lesson–and your performance–were an huge inspiration for me. Thanks.

I enjoyed knowing LeRoy while we were both students at Bemidji State. My favorite memory is LeRoy reciting the 4-H pledge in a Scandinavian language while riding the bus when the college band was on tour. Sorry for your loss . . .

We enjoyed his music and when he played back in Clearwater County he really dew a crowd. We also saw him on TV in Norway as they had sent a crew over to the United States to do a documentary on music that came over with the families and how it was still going strong. His record of musicians from the area was very important.

Leroy hired me to play piano with him at the Ground Round in 1974. I was 19 and it was my first 6 night a week gig. We had a blast and remained friends for all of these years. He taught me a lot. I’ll miss him but I’m thankful for the fun, music and friendship.

From 1965 – 1968 I attended La Crescent High School. My love for music lead me to sign up for choir. Leroy was the choir instructor at the time. It didn’t take me long to realize that he was more than just a teacher. He was a very talented musician, mentor, and friend. His love for music and willingness to share with others only enhanced my own. I feel very privileged and honored to having known him and learned from him. Leroy will be missed by all whom he has touched. He has definitely left his mark in life.

I met LeRoy for the first time in 1966 when I was an 8th Grader at LaCrescent High School. I had joined the band and he was the choir director and trumpet teacher. I remember LeRoy and Louis Witt, the new school’s band director introducing all of us to the “original” school song they had composed at opening day of the brand new school on a cold, rainy day. They were going to teach the student body the melody and lyrics from the stage in the unfinished gymnasium. All the other nearby schools had written corny lyrics to classic marches and established fight songs. Leroy and Lou wanted LaCrescent to be fresh, innovative and original, so this gave birth to We Are The Lancers! In the beginning, we had a pep band but no marching band that first football season. But the entire music program evolved to be the most advanced in the Southeast corner of the state due to their efforts and also those of Jerry O’Hagen who also joined the LaCrescent faculty. The schools’ music ensembles including band, choir and stage band were consistent winners in all the MHSL contests. And many of us went on to have successful careers in music as a direct result of the mentoring of these three guys.

LeRoy also taught a class in music appreciation and to give you an example of his dry sense of humor, satire and sarcasm, he brought in a “new album” he had discovered by a trendy new vocal group called the Swingle Singers. LeRoy kept a straight face as he played the disc and instructed us to each pick a song to critique. Of course the record was a parody of what a cool, lounge group might sound like except they were tone deaf and rhythmically challenged. The cover photo showed the piano player with two left hands on the keyboard. This went on for several days without LeRoy cracking a smile. Finally, a few of the more advanced students questioned the record’s legitimacy and his practical joke was exposed. This is the kind of fun-loving guy LeRoy was and it was typical of his need to combine humor with his passion for and skills at both music and education.

I played drums and was invited to play with LeRoy, his wife on vocals and other nearby musicians at places like the LaCrosse Country Club and The Commodore Club in LaCrescent and I was only 14 when this began. I would be waiting on the steps of my parent’s home at 7:30pm for LeRoy or one of the other adults in the band to swing by and pick me and my drumset up and drive to the gig because I was 2 years away from earning my Learner’s Permit. He gave guitar lessons at Leithold Music store in LaCrosse on Saturdays and some weeknights. When a job opened up, he got me in as the drum instructor for private lessons for every Ringo Starr wannabe within 20 miles. And because of LeRoy, I started to make money doing music. Who knew? When I moved to the Twin Cities to attend the University, it was only a year or two later that LeRoy also moved North. I would visit him at the Roseville Ground Round after working at Schmitt Music in Rosedale mall. He was very popular at the GR and had quite a following. He told me he was planning to record an album of ragtime music and asked me to play drums on it and later on Banjo On My Mind, the follow-up album. It was a great experience and because of the start my teachers had given me, I was able to pay my way through college by playing the drums, sometimes 6 or 7 nights per week. I never had to take out college loans, but of course, tuition and expenses were much lower in the 70’s! I greatly valued the foundation and encouragement that I got from LeRoy and Lou Witt and Jerry O’Hagan and their teaching and friendship launched me into a career in show business that I would chase — for 30+ years. LeRoy was a great guy and I continued performing with him and his groups and combos on & off for many years. I have is great memories that will stay with me forever. And his sense of professionalism and self-deprecating humor have rubbed off on me as well. I’m proud to have known him. He will be forever missed but always lovingly remembered by those of us who were lucky enough to work with him and learn from him.

LeRoy was my second cousin. I have fond memories of LeRoy and his music. He and my dad, Roger Bergloff, were close and had a great lifelong friendship. There are so many stories that my dad and brothers have told me of their camping and fishing trips and the crazy mishaps along the way. Music was always central to any visit with LeRoy. I remember his great musical skill and talent with banjo and mandolin and I think guitar, too, i enjoyed watching him play at the Ground Round Restaurant.
Texas is many miles from Minnesota, so I hadn’t seen LeRoy for about 15 years but I did speak with him by phone December 2019 after my mom Eleanor passed away. He told me he was moving to be near his daughters. After that, I couldn’t locate him by phone so I’m sorry to have missed catching up with LeRoy by phone this year. He taught me everything I know about Norwegian folk music and I will never forget the joy he had sharing his music with us all.
Godspeed, Cousin LeRoy.

My father, Roger Bergloff, was a cousin to LeRoy and I am sure one of his biggest fans. All of Roger’s grandchildren grew up listening to LeRoy’s music any time they were in a vehicle with him and often in Eleanor and his home. Dad loved to sing Nicolina and Mr Yohnson Turn Me Loose. It made me smile. On trips between my home in NW Minnesota and his home in the Chicago area we often visited at LeRoy and Dione’s home in Lakeland. We were welcomed warmly, fed great food and had lots of laughs. My condolences to his family on their loss.

Loved going up to visit Leroy with my father
Roger Bergloff
There was always so much fun, laughs, music,
And stories
Always tired and sore from laughing when we went home
Rest in peace Leroy you will always be missed

Don Bergloff

Leroy Larson was my high school (LaCrescent) trumpet teacher, choir director, and all-around personal philosopher. He inspired me to be a life-long musician, and to go through life with a critical and discerning eye. I remember him once saying that if you go to a dance, most people are just dancing, but a few are actually thinking about what they are doing in life. Leroy Larson was my Henry David Thoreau.

Although, it’s been a long time since the Ground Round
I’ve thought about Leroy here and there over the years

My favorite piece that I’d often request was “Wheels” (which he would cleverly morph into “Listen To The Mockingbird” during rather boring bridge for “Wheels”). I’d pester Ross to play Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date”.

I met Dian at least once at the Ground Round and may have seen her at the hospital where she worked
I vaguely remember a conversation with Dian about her work and how supportive she was.

Sorry I’m a year late with this, I’ve been out of the area a long time. I was on a Music site and wondered if I could find “Bajo Drifter”. Searching I found this Obituary. Wanted to add another voice.

I remember Leroy from his Ground Round days in the late 70’s. He loved the international students from the MAST program (MN Agricultural Student Trainees) and had great evenings singing and partying there!
He was so talented and fun and will be missed. My condolences