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Tragic death of a locally well-known Minnesota pioneer -- his brother also near death
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A couple of deer hunters never expected to find a man lying dead in a farm field in northern Minnesota -- only to find out later that the dead man's brother was also lying near death in a ditch not far away.
Both men were beloved and well-known because both of them were so old that they were among the very first residents of the small town of Oklee, where they grew up on a nearby farm.
William Larson was 98 years old, and for some reason, wandered from his home. He was pronounced dead on the scene according to the Red Lake County sheriff's office.
The cause of death is listed as hypothermia.
After Larson was found dead, a neighbor went to notify his brother, William Larson, age 95, but he was not home. A short time later he was found lying near death in a ditch about a quarter mile from his home.
Authorities speculate that the elder brother wandered outside, and that his brother went out to search for him, only to succumb to the cold himself. William Larson was barely breathing, but was transported alive to a local hospital.
Neither man was well-dressed for the cold weather. At this time, authorities do not suspect foul play, but there is a certain amount of mystery about why William Larson would have went looking for his brother without being prepared for cold weather.
The Larson brothers were well known in Oklee, and were practically pioneers of this remote corner of Minnesota. Last year the elderly brothers were the subject of a feature story by Minnesota Public Radio reporter Dan Gunderson.
The Larson brothers drained the swamps, picked the rocks, and acre-by-painstaking acre, turned the wild, swampy brush land and prairie into a productive grain farm.
They were also famous for raising purebred draft horses, which brought 500, to 600 visitors per year to their farm.
Despite their great age, Carl and William fiercely held onto their independence, which may have led to the tragic death of Carl. He told Public Radio:
"We feel the town is the poorest place you can be in. That's about the same as these nursing homes. If you live in town you just sit and look out the window. But here we can go out and do something you know," says Carl.
The case is still under investigation.
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