Larry Hargrave

Larry C. Hargrave, age 81, died suddenly on May 20, 2021 and was greeted in heaven by his beautiful wife Karen. Larry was born January 16, 1940 to Chester and Irene Hargrave. He grew up on the family farm, where his passion for farming began, and continued throughout his whole life. He attended Mukwonago High School, and was proud to be part of an outstanding football team. He would share those stories often. High school also introduced him to the love of his life, Karen. These high school sweethearts married on May 5, 1962, and celebrated 57 wonderful years together. Their farming life took them to Watertown, Janesville, Reeseville, and back to Janesville, in search of the perfect family farm. In May of 1972, they bought the Mirr dairy farm on Highway 49, where Larry, Karen, and their four children worked tireless hours on the house, barn and land to make it their own. The Hargrave family’s annual sweet corn sale was definitely a popular event, where people drove from all over the state for this summer treat. Milking cows and managing the land created a work ethic like no other. The career of farming worked perfectly for his hobby of snowmobiling. Field work in the spring, summer and fall with time to snowmobile in the winter. The cows kept him home daily, but with 4 hardworking kids, he knew he could sneak away to enjoy some time on his Scorpion or Polaris. He was a past President and current lifetime member of the Berlin River Riders Snowmobile Club. Marking trails on the south end of the county was always done before the first snow fall, something he enjoyed. Larry’s true pride was his family and farming, evident by generations of Hargrave farming continuing today. Once retired from farming, he still had a magnetic attraction to tractors. Big or small it didn’t matter – as long as they were red. His name was frequently heard at the area pulls, as tractor pulling became his new hobby. Larry also filled his calendar with trips to his second home in Mountain, tubing the Bagley Rapids, 4 wheeling on the Pipeline, fish fries every month, Saturday night meat raffles, meeting for breakfast, holiday celebrations with family and friends, and so much more. His upcoming summer calendar was full of many of these favorite events, but God had a different calendar. His laugh and love of life will be deeply missed by his children, Richard (Carla) Hargrave, Robert (Cathy) Hargrave, Lisa (John) Meier and Lon (Kathy) Hargrave; sisters, Jo Ellen Meidenbauer, Waukesha Christine Whitehaus (Brian), New Berlin, Carol Gonzales, Nevada. He couldn’t have been more proud of his grandchildren and great grandchildren, Alex (Jessica) , Olivia and Piper Hargrave, Joel (Tearza), Araya and Merrit Hargrave, Kara (Garrett) , Weston, Alyse, Mara and Warren Schuster, Emma (Corey) and Lennox Disterhaft, Hattie, Holly and Chet Hargrave, Bryan and Brady Hargrave, Taylor, Daniel (Erin Mahr) and Clara Beck, Jake and Wil Hargrave. His friends near and far were also extremely important to him. There will be a deep void in many lives with Larry gone, but all know Karen needed him more. Relatives and friends may visit with the family on Thursday, June 10, 2021, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm and Friday, June 11, 2021 from 9:00 – 10:00 am at the Wiecki- Skipchak Funeral Home of downtown Berlin. A mass of Christian Burial will be held at All Saints Catholic Congregation on Friday, June 11 at 10:30, with Father David Greenfield officiating. Following the mass, Larry will be laid to rest next to Karen at Oakwood Cemetery, with a Celebration of Life to follow at the Green Lake American Legion Post 306 Hall, 518 Water St. Green Lake. In place of flowers, the family will be establishing a memorial in Larry’s name for a farming related scholarship.

Larry Hargrave

January 16, 1940 - May 20, 2021