Larry Severson
Larry W. Severson, 70, of Miles City died Monday, Sept. 9, 2024.
He was born in Harvey, N.D., on Feb. 13, 1954, to Elmer and Myra (Pross) Severson of Fessenden, N.D.
It was no secret that a young Larry had a passion for baseball. During Legion season in Fessenden, it was a common occurrence for him to rush out the door to meet his teammates at the local Tastee Freez, pile into cars and speed off to whatever small-town North Dakota team they were playing. A little-known fact — he was ambidextrous. He played catcher and could bat and accurately throw a baseball left- or right-handed. He was also a lifelong New York Yankees fan.
After graduating from Fessenden High School in 1972, he attended Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, N.D., for one semester to study art. He then transferred to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to study communications. He graduated from UND in 1977, majoring in speech with an emphasis in radio, television and film. During his tenure at UND, he was the videographer for the Fighting Sioux hockey team and produced many promotional films for the university.
He started his professional career in Grand Forks working for several television stations as a production director and photographer. In 1980, he moved to Wolf Point as an account executive, producer and announcer for KVCK Radio. During the annual Wild Horse Stampede, he had a knack for finding rodeo cowboys and interviewing them live on air. It’s during this period that he met Celina LaFloe-Nedrud at a mutual friend’s Halloween party — where they were thrown into a picture together — both dressed as vampires. They were married in 1982 and, through this union, he inherited a stepson, Michael, then welcomed a daughter, Ashley.
Between 1986 and 1991, he juggled residency in Wolf Point, Billings and Minot, N.D., as his work as a producer necessitated a larger media market. He returned to Wolf Point in 1991 and worked in many capacities including the Fort Peck Journal, the Chamber of Commerce, The Herald-News, KVCK Radio and the Fort Peck Community College as an adjunct professor, where he taught public speaking, interpersonal communications, photography and essay writing. In 2004, he moved to Miles City where he worked for Mid-Rivers Communications as a video production coordinator and an announcer at KYUS FM Radio. He also contracted as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press.
Throughout his life, he was an avid runner. He was also a highly skilled photographer. Whether he was on the job, or just on vacation, he was always packing around a professional Canon camera with a collection of telephoto lenses.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Celina (LaFloe) Severson.
He is survived by his sister, Connie Mason of Fessenden, N.D.; brothers, Dean Severson of Chandler, Ariz., and Paul Severson of Burnsville, Minn.; son, Michael Severson of Portland, Ore.; daughter, Ashley Scher of Fort Collins, Colo., and two grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place at the Bohlender Funeral Chapel in Fort Collins, Colo. A memorial service will be held at the Nelson Funeral Home in Fessenden, N.D. on Oct. 4, at 10:30 a.m. An inurnment will immediately proceed the service at the Hillside Cemetery.
