Corrine Larsen, 93

Corrine Audrey (Bruess) Larsen was born Aug. 18, 1931, to Elroy and Frieda (Lange) Bruess in Sleepy Eye, Minn. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. Her younger years were lived on a farm near Sleepy Eye before the family moved to Benson, Minn. Corrine graduated from Benson High School in 1949.

Corrine attended nurses training at Trinity School of Nursing in Minot, N.D. After graduation, she worked as an office nurse for Dr. T.S. Eberley in Benson for one year before going to airline stewardess training at Trans-World Airlines in Kansas City, Mo. She also worked part time at St. Luke’s Hospital while in Kansas City.

Corrine flew for TWA for three years. On one of her flights in the summer of 1957, she met passenger Don Larsen, the New York Yankee baseball player who pitched the perfect game in the World Series on Oct. 8, 1956. He asked for her phone number and left a ticket for her at the box office for his next game. While Corrine’s flight crew was on layover in New York, Don took her to the Ice Capades at Madison Square Garden. During the evening, he pointed out a lady with a beautiful fur stole. “Do you like them?” he asked. “Of course,” she replied. The next morning, he picked her up at her hotel, and they went to a fur store in downtown Manhattan. Don told Corrine to pick out the fur she liked. When she had selected one, the furrier said her name would be engraved as she wrote it. She wrote “Corrine A. Bruess.” “Wait,” said Don. “How about Corrine A. Larsen?”

When Don retired from baseball in 1968, they moved to Morgan Hill outside San Jose, Calif., where Corrine worked as a surgical nurse in open heart surgery at O’Connor Hospital and for an ophthalmologist.

In 1993, the couple retired, moved to Idaho and made their home on Hayden Lake. They were blessed to celebrate 62 years together.

Corrine lived a life of service. She served her Lord and Savior her whole life. She also served her community through her involvement with Christ the King Lutheran Church and the 3Cs organization in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She loved preparing delicious meals for family and friends. She was the perfect hostess as she could always find a good reason to entertain guests. No one left her home without a baked goodie, a jar of preserves or pickles she had canned herself. She enjoyed traveling and sending postcards to family and friends from their many travel adventures and visiting family in Minnesota.

Corrine is survived by a daughter-in-law, Nancy Larsen; grandson Justin Larsen (Shelby and daughter Harper); grandson Cody (Sage) Larsen and great-grandson Ashton; great-granddaughters Anna, Ember and Kahleesi; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Elroy and Frieda Bruess; husband Don on Jan. 1, 2020; son Scott Larsen; two brothers and their wives, Roger (Evelyn) Bruess and Elroy (Ruth) Bruess; one sister and her husband, Joleen (Virgil) Birkholz.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8.

The memorial service is pending for the spring of 2025. Arrangements are provided by Yates Funeral Home. Online registry and service updates are available at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.