Donald H. Larson

Donald H. Larson was born in Kimball on Jan. 26, 1939, and passed away at his home in Costa Mesa, Calif., on March 22, 2015. Services were held April 10 at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, Calif.

His parents were Fred H. Larson and Evelyn (Wilger) Larson. He attended the Kimball public schools graduating in 1957 from Kimball County High School. As an eighth grader his first job was at Morgan Drug Store making 33 cents an hour. Other jobs included working for the Western Nebraska Observer as a "printer's devil," a box boy at Safeway, ticket taker at the drive-in movie theater and for a laboratory analyzing core samples from oil wells to help determine if the wells were worth putting into production

After high school he attended Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo., for one semester and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska Lincoln in January 1962 and moved to Pomona, Calif.

Donald and Ella Arlene Kellner were married Dec. 15, 1962. They moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1964 and returned to Long Beach, Calif., in 1965. They lived in Fountain Valley and Costa Mesa, Calif., where they raised their three children, Laura, Fred and Gary. He worked as an engineer for General Dynamics Corp. and Douglas Aircraft Company. He then joined Rockwell International working as an operating systems programmer for large computer mainframes which included IBM, Control Data and Cray Research.

The family enjoyed campouts and many trips to Nebraska to visit family. On March 20, 2000, his wife, Ella, passed away. In 2009 Donald and his son, Fred, took a biking trip across Sweden. and researched family history. Donald attended Calvary Chapel and was a devout believer in Jesus Christ. Mila Macalino and Donald met at church and were married in 2009.

Donald is survived by his wife, Mila; children, Laura (Rob) Lucas, Fred (Linda) Larson, and Gary (Debbie) Larson: a sister, Joan Larson Knapp; and five grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Leonard and Kenneth; and his wife, Ella (Kellner) Larson.