Lauretz "L.N." N. Rasmussen

Lauretz “L.N.” Norris Rasmussen, 101, died March 23, 2019 at the Frankfort Community Care Home. Visitation was Wednesday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Padden Funeral Chapel in Frankfort. The family received friends from 5 to 7 p.m. A funeral service was held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 28 at the Frankfort United Methodist Church. Rev. Jim Akins officiated.  The musicians were Janet Plegge, Clara Kee and Micah Kee.  Music included “Blessings”, “Sweet By and By” and “Because He Lives”. The pallbearers were his grandsons Jim, Jeff, Robert, Kevin, Eric, Todd, Corey and Michael Rasmussen. The honorary pallbearers were his granddaughters Paula Kuhlman, Pam Watkins, Sonya Kee, Carrie Donally, Marti Goss and Kelly Johnson. Burial was in the Frankfort Cemetery. Lauretz was born Oct. 26, 1917, on the Ernest O. Rasmussen, Crowley County homestead near Ordway, CO, the 2nd of three sons born to Ernest O. and Hazel S. (Mills) Rasmussen. He spent the 1st year of his life in Colorado, the next 12 years on the Schelling homestead in Pottawatomie County, KS, and then Marshall County, KS. His first 7 years of grade school were in the Pottawatomie county District #81 School with subsequent 8th grade graduation from the Vliets Grade School in 1931 and graduation from Frankfort High School in 1935. In the summer of 1936, he traveled by Model T Ford to the state of Washington with neighbor Bernard Hull to work in the fruit orchards. Lauretz married Lucille Webster in 1938.  They lived west of Vliets on 24th Terrace Road for 50 years while farming between there and Vliets.  He was a farmer all of his life and raised Registered Hereford cattle. At 79, he semi-retired from farming but remained active in the farm’s administrative functions. By age 83, he had 70 years in community service including Marshall County Commissioner, Vliets and Frankfort school boards, Vermillion Township board, NE Kansas Area Aging Council, and was a past president of the Marshall County Farm Bureau. He maintained an excellent memory of the events that occurred over his life as well as the genealogy of the people in the community. At 2 a.m., June 20, 1942, he and his family, survived riding in the house when a tornado moved it about 8 feet off the foundation. His historic knowledge of flooding in the Vliets area encompasses 88 years between 1930 to present day. Lauretz and his father Ernest built levees between 1950 and 1982 that met and exceeded state requirements. He also enjoyed and appreciated the many friendships he established while serving the public. In his later years he enjoyed travel with his son Ron on trips to Hawaii and various countries in Europe. On one trip he visited the area of Nakskov, Denmark, where his grandfather Peter L. Rasmussen was born. Survivors include his three sons, Ronald (Judy) Rasmussen, Minneapolis, MN, Kent (Carol) Rasmussen, Overland Park, KS, and Doug (Jean) Rasmussen, Westmoreland, KS; daughter, Jane (Jim) McGuire, Osprey, FL; daughter-in-law, Bonnie Rasmussen, Frankfort; 14 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Lucille Webster, on Nov. 15, 2000; son, Lauretz “Larry” N. Rasmussen, Jr., on Nov. 24, 2001; two brothers, Otho Rasmussen and Wayne Rasmussen; great-grand daughter, Renee Rasmussen; and great- grandson, Tyson Rasmussen. Memorials will be designated later and may be sent in care of Padden Funeral Chapel. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lauretz "L.N." N. Rasmussen, please visit our flower store.