Rev. Sue Moline Larson
Rev. Sue Moline Larson died February 23, 2023 at University Hospital, Madison, WI. Her funeral service will be at Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 Hwy. M, Middleton, WI Saturday, March 4 at 1 p.m. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to the time of service. Interment will be Monday, March 6 at 1 p.m. at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be directed to a scholarship fund to support students studying environmental justice and advocacy.
Sue was born February 20, 1947 in Waukon in the beautiful rolling hills of northeast Iowa near the Mississippi River Valley. She was baptized June 9, 1947 at Grace Evangelical United Brethren Church in Lansing. She attended the Ferring country school through fifth grade and then went to school in Waukon when her family moved due to father’s ill health.
During her growing up years Sue enjoyed being out of doors, biking, sledding, horseback riding, gardening, driving the tractor for haying, and boating with family on the river. She was a member of 4-H, learning to sew and performing demonstrations at the County Fair. Confirmed at Zion Evangelical & Reformed United Church of Christ in Waukon March 21, 1960, she continued to be active in Youth Fellowship, choir and church camp in Zion’s warm and supportive congregation.
After high school, she attended Luther College, Decorah. She graduated as a member of Sigma Tau Delta English Fraternity with a BAE in English Education from Wayne State Teachers College, NE. That was where she met Terry Larson. They were married June 21, 1969 at the Zion Church in Waukon.
She taught Middle School and High School English in Iowa and GED English classes at Ellsworth AFB before following her husband in enrolling in Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque. Upon earning her Master of Divinity degree in 1983, she and her husband completed a year-long Clinical Pastoral Education chaplaincy program at Iowa Methodist Hospital, Des Moines. They then accepted a joint call in Word and Sacrament ministry to Bristol Lutheran Church, Sun Prairie, WI.
Following her passion for social justice, in 1993 she became the Director of the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin, the political advocacy office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wisconsin. Shortly after she retired from that position, she was called to share pastoral ministry with her husband at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Watertown, WI.
During Sue’s years of active ministry and beyond, she was dedicated to social justice and environmental advocacy. With many other like-minded people, she prompted state and local political leaders to do what is right on behalf of all citizens; advocated for Namibian independence and a South Africa free from apartheid; worked for forgiveness of the oppressive debt of third-world countries; encouraged people to vote by registering voters in parks, parking lots, and anywhere people gathered; implemented sustainable solutions to prevent climate change; and protected pollinating insects by planting native gardens. Sue lived her faith.
Sue is survived by her husband; her son, Jonathan, and Sheetal Singh, parents of her beloved grandchildren, Noah and Talia, of Berkeley, CA; and her son, Erik, of Madison, WI. She is further survived by her siblings, Russell Moline of Waukon, Marjorie Swanson of Cortland, OH, Evelyn Nold of Waterloo, Sharon Smith of Des Moines and Robert Moline of Genoa, WI; her sister-in-law, Mary Ann Moline of La Crosse, WI; and many nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Russell and Myrtle Moline; her brothers, Richard and Roger; her brothers-in-law, Lester Smith, Don Nold and John Swanson; her sister-in-law, Marlene Moline; her brother-in-law, Larry (Joyce) Larson of Edmonds, WA; and her sisters-in-law, Connie (Tom) Keel of Iowa City and Linda (Steve) Sampy of Eustis, NE.
Sue was a member of Holy Wisdom Monastery Sunday Assembly where she served as a presiding minister and homilist. She served on the Liturgy Committee, and as part of the environmental and social justice group.
Hafemeister Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Watertown, WI is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.hafemeisterfh.com.
