Larry Arnold Braaten, 71, Minneapolis, KS , passed away Friday, May 5, 2023, in Edina, MN. He was born to Klinton T. and Ruth M. (Versdahl) Braaten on February 29, 1952, and was the first Leap Year baby born at St. Francis Hospital in Breckenridge, MN that year.

Larry attended and graduated from high school in Wyndmere, ND. Larry was a Petty Officer in the United States Navy from December 3, 1971, until his honorable discharge on March 17, 1975. It was while he was in bootcamp that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He completed three Naval courses in electricity and electronics and was a Nuclear Trained Electronics Technician. Larry's years of military service included almost six months of foreign service in Vietnam. He received the National Defense Service Medal. Following his military service, Larry studied Computer Programming at the North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton, ND, and received his Associate of Science degree in 1977.

Larry met his wife, Judith Lynn Christensen, in 1975 when they were both attending United Campus Christian Fellowship at NDSSS. They were married on July 3, 1976, and they moved to the Minneapolis, MN metro area in 1977. Their son, James Larry was born in 1978 and their daughter, Lisa Anne was born in 1979. During his data processing/IT career, he worked for Minnesota Federal, First Bank System, Lutheran Brotherhood, Warrington Financial / Sungard, EDS/National Car, and Hewlett Packard. Larry started Larry's Handyman Service in 2010 and later said many times that he wished he had done that years earlier.

In 2021, Larry and Judy moved to Minneapolis, KS to be closer to their son, James. Larry loved the small-town life and enjoyed having coffee with his new friends. He made frequent trips to the Braaten Farm and loved the openness of the countryside. His hobbies included golfing, woodworking, motorcycling, and operating tractors at the farm.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors are his wife of 46 years, Judy; son, James and his wife Sue; daughter, Lisa Michelsen; grandchildren, Sarah Elizabeth Braaten, Eve Abigail Braaten, Alex James Braaten, Ella Maarit Michelsen, and Calen Trygve Michelsen; and brothers, David and his wife, Peggy, Kevin and his wife, Deb, Paul and his wife, Sharon, and Donald and his wife, Colleen.

Inurnment with military honors will be at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, June 3 at Highland Cemetery, Minneapolis, KS. Memorial services will be at 11:00 A.M. at the Community Bible Church, Minneapolis, KS. Memorials may be made to the Pregnancy Service Center and left in the care of Wilson Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 166, Minneapolis, KS 67467 .