Charles Leraas

Charles (Charlie) Leraas, 64, passed peacefully away Sunday, March 1, 2009 at his home in rural Barrett. Funeral services for Charles will be held at 1pm on Thursday, March 5, 2009, at the Peace Lutheran Church in Barrett with Pastors Cordell and Mary Carol Strug officiating. Burial will be in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Barrett. Visitation will be from 4-7pm. Wednesday, March 4, at the Erickson-Smith Funeral Home, and one hour before services at the church on Thursday. Charles was born on September 25, 1944, in Fergus Falls to Olaf J. and Alice (Thompson) Leraas. He was baptized and confirmed at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lien Township and graduated from Barrett High School in 1963. He attended the Alexandria Technical College where he earned a two-year degree in Industrial Drafting. On October 4, 1966, Charles enlisted in the Air Force and served in the Phillipines. On April 1, 1972, Charles was married to Marilyn Larson in the First Presbyterian Church in Elbow Lake. The couple lived on the family farm where they raised their children and operated a hog and grain farm. Charles also had a 37-year career driving school bus for the Barrett and West Central Area school districts. Charles was a proud and dedicated father and grandfather. He was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church and the Sandberg-Carlson American Legion Post. Gentle and hard-working, Charles enjoyed coin collecting, watching and feeding wild birds, and simply being outdoors. He and Marilyn enjoyed traveling together - the Lake Superior shore was one of his favorite destinations. Charles also loved animals, befriending and delighting in them wherever he went. Charles is survived by his best friend and wife of 36 years Marilyn; children Krista of Minneapolis, Murray (Jessica) of Minneapolis, John (Melissa) and their children Briauna and Rilynn of Delano, and Garik (Leslie) and soon-to-be-born baby boy of Alexandria. Other survivors include his sisters Beatrice (Dayle) DeFrance of Barrett and Doris Leraas of Minneapolis and one brother, Monroe (CoCo) Leraas of Julian, California; several nieces and nephews; and his father and mother-in-law Dale and Betty Larson of Fergus Falls and sister-in-law Vicki (Gary) Neuharth of Bismarck, North Dakota. He was preceded in death by his parents Olaf and Alice Leraas.

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