Audrey "Dagmar" Smith was born March 20, 1927 at Nielsville, MN the 3rd of 7 children born to Soren and Anna (Amundson) Smith. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Petri Lutheran Church, Nielsville, MN. She attended country school followed by graduation from Climax High School. (1944) That fall she moved in with Gilbert & Helen (Amundson) Fosse, her aunt and uncle, near Fertile to help care for her grandmother, Syverine (Bilden) Amundson, while her aunt taught school. While there she met Arnold Larson at a Luther League meeting at Little Norway Church. He was "the boy next door" who happened to live across the lake. After her grandmother died in April of 1945, she moved to Fargo and attended Aaker's Business College working in Fargo the following year.

Arnold and Dagmar were married December 15, 1946 at the Little Norway Church Parsonage in Fertile, MN. They settled on the family farm northeast of Fertile with Arnold's parents. A new house was built in 1980. In 1957, due to Arnold's health issues, they moved to Oildale, CA for the winter, returning home to the farm the following spring.

Life for Dagmar on the farm was busy with children, sewing, mending, and a large garden with flowers, fruits and vegetables for preserving. She encouraged her children in education, 4-H, school and church activities. Her virtue was patience when her daughters shared a sewing machine for fair exhibit deadlines, chased piglets, cattle, dogs and 4-H geese from her garden, created impromptu meals and lodging for visiting relatives, was called to for farm duties while meals cooked or babies cried, kept the coffee and cookies at hand for visitors, children and grandchildren. Cooking was a daily responsibility and she enjoyed it as she tried new recipes, made dishes for gatherings, adapted for venison from the hunters and learned the required new kitchen technology as it arrived via "presents" whether desired or not.

She was the bookkeeper for the family farm. An active member of Little Norway Lutheran Church, she participated in women's groups and taught Sunday School. She made time in her busy day to snuggle with the children and read to them sharing her appreciation of books. Books and newspapers were always plentiful in their home and one learned to keep quiet during the news and market reports. Dagmar and Arne were also active in their local DFL Party. Discussing politics and religion over the dinner table was a lively daily activity. Dagmar loved to dance despite having foot issues. Many a time Arnold would come in from the field on a Saturday only to go dancing. In later years Arnold would be the chauffeur and dancing partner for many of their widowed friends as he loaded up the Oldsmobile and drove to wherever there was a dance floor and "good" music played.

Dagmar and Arnold enjoyed traveling, visiting relatives, friends and sites across the country including Alaska, Canada and Mexico. They toured Norway (2005) where roots ran deep. She declared it so wonderful it had "felt like a dream".

Dagmar and Arnold moved to Fertile in 2002 and later to Summerfield Place in 2010. July 2011 Dagmar entered Memory Care at the Villa St. Vincent Nursing Home in Crookston where she resided until her passing. Arnold passed away in June of 2014.

Dagmar is survived by six children, Anita Larson Andres, Omaha, NE, Vickie (Mark) DeSchane, Park Rapids, Jeffrey (Lynn) Larson, Fertile, Rosalyn (Dave McCord) Larson-McCord, Lino Lakes, MN, James (Jennifer) Larson, Fertile and Donald Larson, Fertile; eleven grandchildren: Dan (Cami) DeSchane, Rachel Andres, Joe DeSchane, Matthew (Nora) Larson, Michael (Kris) Larson, Scott McCord (Tara Ketchum), Elizabeth (James Shewmake) Andres, Tim (Heather) McCord, Samuel Larson, Soren Larson and Kate Larson as well as eight great grandchildren; Kylie, Tahlen, Jacob, Orion, Zander, Robert, Edward and Solvi. Dagmar is also survived by siblings, Shirley Anderson, R. Curtis (Bonnie) Smith and Rosemarie (Dick) Backen and sister-in‐law Lillian Smith. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, siblings, Sidney Smith; Norris (Marian) Smith; Arlene (Roland) Hamre and brother‐in‐law, H.A. Anderson and grandchild, Mary Larson.

The family would like to thank the staff at Villa St. Vincent Memory Care Unit for providing a caring, comfortable and safe environment for Dagmar these past seven years. Their continual care and compassion for Mom was well noted and much appreciated by her family.

Memorial Service: 11:00 Saturday, October 27, 2018, at Little Norway Lutheran Church, rural Fertile, MN.

Visitation: Friday, October 26, 2018, from 5:00PM to 7:00PM at Erikson-Vik-Ganje Funeral Home Fertile, MN, and one hour before the service at the church.

Burial: Little Norway Lutheran Cemetery, rural Fertile, MN.