View Larry's service from 12/3/2020 at https://wearelivetoday.com/larry-wells Today, we celebrate the life of Larry Jay Wells who passed away unexpectedly at his home in Owatonna on November 30, 2020. Left to cherish his memory are Betty Lou (Glienke) Wells, his wife and best friend of more than thirty-three years, his daughter, Johanna Farmer and one grandson, Gavin Farmer. Larry was born in Bemidji, Minnesota on January 13, 1956, the fifth of eight children born to Arthur and Dorothy (Magoon) Wells and is also survived by his siblings, Jack Wells and his significant other Mary Ann (Michigamme, MI), Ron and Theresa Wells (Akeley, MN), Kenneth and Mary Wells (Elk River, MN), Richard Wells and his significant other Suzanne (Marinette, WI), Jerry Wells and his significant other, Debbie (Akeley, MN), and his beloved little sister, Judi Wells (Glendale, AZ), and by siblings-in-law, Bernice and Bob Stompoly (Lexington, MO), Martha (Marty) Lawson (Hector, MN), Gary and Diane Glienke (Faribault, MN), and Carl and Rose Glienke (Blooming Prairie, MN), as well as by dozens of nieces and nephews in both the Wells and Glienke families. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Dorothy, his sister Linda Wells, and his father and mother-in-law, Gerhardt and Evelyn Glienke. Larry was blessed to have many valued friends over his life, including life-long friends Jim and Carol Glidden and Ed Fairbanks and his wife, Joyce (all of Bemidji, MN), Larry's close friend and hunting buddy, Mike Keller and his wife, Jane (Medford, MN), and his church community at Christ Community Covenant Church in Owatonna. All of us who had the good fortune to know Larry have been blessed by the time we shared with him, and at the same time are left wanting for losing him far too soon. From an early age, it was apparent that Larry was distinctive as he gained not one, but two nicknames: "Butch" due to what no doubt was a spectacular hairstyle, and "Duck" which we think was reportedly attributable to a particularly unique walking style. Growing up in Cass Lake, MN, Larry developed a deep love for hunting, fishing, and spending his time outdoors. As a youth, Larry worked at the family café and at the local fishing resorts, the latter being where he perfected his legendary fish-cleaning skills, a talent that he would use throughout his entire life. Larry attended Cass Lake-Bena High School where he was both a wrestler and a member of the football team before graduating in 1974. After attending classes at Staples Area Vocational Technical Institute, Larry began a long and successful career in Equipment Layout and Design Drafting working at Truth Inc., 25 years at the King Company (both in Owatonna), Hormel Foods in Austin, and the last 10 years of his career at Evapco, Inc. of Medford, MN before retiring in January 2015. Larry was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, exploring, and even pulling buckthorn. A true Minnesotan through and through, it didn't matter to Larry whether the temperature was 40 degrees below zero with a 30 mile per hour wind, or 90-plus degrees with 80 percent humidity (which in Minnesota can occur in the very same week). Regardless of the weather, Larry was always positive and eager. Each year, Larry looked forward to what Betty would lovingly refer to as the "Annual Wells Male Bonding Ritual" which was essentially a combination of two things that meant so much to Larry – his brothers and being able to spend time together in nature. In a family tradition carried down from their youth, every year over Labor Day weekend Larry and his brothers and nephews would get together for camping and fishing and, of course, and reconnecting with each other. And of course, the brothers and nephews loved having Larry around, particularly because of his legendary fish-cleaning prowess. It was said that Larry could clean a perch perfectly in seven to ten seconds. Larry also enjoyed numerous trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area with Mike Keller and his sons; and many, many hours in a fishing boat with Jim Glidden. Larry wasn't just an eager participant, he was good at what he did, almost always (as stories are told) bagging the largest buck or catching the most fish. Something that maybe wasn't quite so welcome is that, during winter ice fishing trips with Jim, one would routinely tackle the other into a snowdrift which would begin an impromptu wrestling match. Larry was a tinkerer, and could fix just about anything. It might take him a moment or two to noodle over it and figure out the best solution, but he'd always get the job done. Larry was a talented woodworker and could expertly build nearly any project, from shelves to beds to fine cabinetry. And when the project was complete, it wasn't just complete, it was said to be Wellzerized which means it could stand up to the strongest natural disasters with nary a scratch. Larry was perpetual motion with definite, but sometimes seemingly indeterminable purpose. In other words, sometimes no one knew what the blazes he was up to, but he always had a plan. Sometimes, he would just take his metal detector and disappear for hours, not really in search of buried treasure, but just for the sake of exploring someplace new. Larry was an unassuming gentleman in the truest sense of the word. In a world of escalation and self-centeredness, Larry was an oasis of kindness, civility, and courtesy. This is likely why he was well-liked by so many people and never met a stranger. He never swore or said a harsh word about anyone. He was a good friend who would drop whatever he was doing at a moment's notice to help anyone. Most impressive of all was how Larry gave - - genuinely, freely, and without thought of return. He gave his time. He gave his talent. He gave love, patience, and guidance. Larry gave because he understood the impact of giving doesn't end with the act itself, but rather that the act of giving is simply the beginning of better. Better people. A better life. A better world. He was always available to his family, friends, neighbors, and his community alike. He gave as a younger man, serving as a Sunday School teacher and by coaching a 4H girls softball team. Later, he gave by helping to build theatrical sets for the Little Theatre of Owatonna for many years and even had a cameo in the LTO production of Singin' in the Rain. In fact, Larry's contributions to the Little Theater were so pronounced, or his on-stage performance was so captivating, that he was ultimately inducted into the LTO Hall of Fame. He also gave of himself freely to Gavin, his grandson and Johanna, his daughter, and was so vested in each of them. Johanna shares that Larry spent hours teaching her to drive and ultimately taking her to the DMV for her driving exam. As she completed the driving portion of the test, the examiner revealed to Johanna that she had indeed passed. After she parked and exited the car, she walked towards her dad and burst into tears. When he saw her tears, Johanna could see Larry's face go pale. He originally thought she had failed and more time behind the wheel was needed, when in fact she was overjoyed that she had passed. Larry absolutely loved being a grandpa and he was so honored to use his role as Grandpa to help Johanna provide Gavin with a solid foundation that would allow him to grow into the young man he is today. And to Gavin's great credit, he understands the impact when he shared that "He was one in a million, the rock of our family, and the best friend I ever had. He led our family with joy." But it wasn't all life lessons and straight-and-narrow for Grandpa and Gavin, otherwise known as Me and Mini-Me. The two were virtually inseparable; where one of them was, the other was sure to be close behind. This also meant that if one of them were in trouble, it's quite likely they both were in trouble. For instance… for making a mess during one of their many water fights, or for wrestling around in the house until Grandma shared her infinite words of wisdom - - "It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt". Come to think about it, Jim should probably thank Gavin for taking over as Larry's primary focus for wrestling and roughhousing. Grandpa also shared his love of nature with Gavin, teaching him how to shoot a firearm and a bow and arrows, and taking him fishing. One of Larry's favorite things to do with Gavin would be to take float trips in the canoe down the Straight River; this special time spent together meant so much to Grandpa. Of course, Grandpa wasn't just there for special events and canoe trips, Grandpa was an everyday presence in Gavin's life for so many years. When Gavin earned his yellow belt in Karate, Master Steve awarded Grandpa Larry an honorary yellow belt in recognition of all the help he gave to Gavin as he learned his techniques. Even when they weren't palling around together, Grandpa was always there for Gavin. Gavin tells the story about how, one year when his Grandpa was out in a field turkey hunting, they were on the phone together with Grandpa helping Gavin with his math homework. It says a lot about a person who is loved as much by his in-laws as he is loved by the members of his own family. In fact, Betty often joked that if it ever came down to a choice between claiming Betty or claiming Larry as one of their own, she would come out second best in that competition. But Larry's greatest accomplishment in life was, by far, his relationship with Betty. Larry and Betty were the loves of each other's lives, truly made for each other. For nearly 32 years, Larry and Betty approached all aspects of life as a team, fully trusting and relying upon each other, never concerned about needing a safe place to fall or the loss of self, because they had all of that in each other. They were individual pieces but equal and complementary parts of a singular whole. They were Larry and Betty. Hand in hand. Side by side. They laughed and cried, celebrated and mourned. They finished each other's sentences, as well as occasionally each other's French fries. During a recent year-long illness, Larry displayed his intense love for Betty and his giving nature, acting as an attentive caregiver. Betty shared that "He took such good care of me and never once complained about a thing." In addition to their home in Owatonna, for many years, Larry and Betty enjoyed their small cabin at Duck Lake near Mankato, MN, whether reveling in the peace and quiet of a private sanctuary, or braving the hullabaloo that comes along with hosting lots of family members in a relatively small space. Following Larry's retirement in 2015, Larry and Betty began wintering in Sun City, AZ and exploring the surrounding countryside either alone together or with visiting family. Larry and Betty loved to travel the United States and had the great fortune to take an Alaskan cruise, repeated trips to Missouri to visit family and enjoyed planning and taking one of their numerous road trips to explore the USA. The following is an adaptation from a poem Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote nearly 150 years ago. It reads: When a great man dies, for years the light he leaves behind him lies on the paths of men. Longfellow understood then what we all realize today: A great person's contributions continue to positively impact the world even after that person has left our side. Larry Wells was indeed a great man and though his race is run, his light will continue to illuminate each of our paths. It is up to us to do him honor by using the light he shared with each of us to in turn develop our own light to share with others. In this way, we can assure that the light of this great man will never dim. A public visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 PM on Thursday, December 3, 2020 at Michaelson Funeral Home in Owatonna. The funeral service for Larry will be private. View Larry's service from 12/3/2020 at https://wearelivetoday.com/larry-wells