Born September 9, 1935, in McVille, North Dakota to Ole and Jeanette Barclay, Audrey was raised in Binford, North Dakota with abundant memories of time spent at Red Willow Lake and the Rorvig Farm. Upon graduating from Binford High School, Audrey enrolled at Valley City State University where she earned a teaching certificate. Married for the first time in 1953, Audrey gave birth in 1954 to the first of her five children; Julie, Jim, Joel, Jodi, and Jessica. In Audrey’s own words, there was nothing she was more proud of than being a mother. Audrey remarried in 1980 and spent the next 36 years with Don until he passed away in 2016. Audrey loved spending quality time with her family and friends, either around her kitchen table at her home of nearly 50 years in Coon Rapids or boating and fishing at the cabin in Crosby. Whichever home you would find her at, a pot of coffee was always on and the homemade treats and meals were always ready to share. If she wasn’t busy visiting and hanging out playing games or enjoying the outdoors with family, friends, and neighbors, she could be found volunteering at her church serving in any and every way possible.
Audrey was kind, gentle, forgiving, loving, and hardworking, She was both faithful and generous with her time, resources, listening skills, and words of wisdom. If you had the privilege to sit at Audrey’s table, not only were your cheeks sore from laughing at her jokes, you were left with a softer heart, a more forgiving spirit, the reminder that life is hard but you keep going, and no matter what, God is in control.
Audrey was preceded in death by her loving husband of 36 years, Donald Larson; first husband, Morgan Ellingson; granddaughter, Rachel Cahalan; grandson, Edward Pehota III; parents, Ole and Jeanette Barclay; brother, Gordon Barclay; sons-in-law, Richard Dwyer, Christopher Cahalan and Edward Pehota II.
Audrey is survived by her children, Julie Ellingson; Morgan “Jimmy” (Sue) Ellingson; Joel (Stacey) Ellingson; Jodi (Tony) Moellman; Jessica Cahalan; Candy Pehota; and Connie Larson; her grandchildren, Kristina, Tyler, Cody, Levi, Jeremy, Josh, Jenni, Cameron, Megan, Sydney, and Grant; and 11 great grandchildren.
Audrey’s Celebration of Life service will be Friday, February 23, 2024, at First Baptist Church, Anoka. Visitation at 10 am with service at 11. Luncheon to immediately follow the service with Inurnment in Morningside Memorial Gardens at 2 pm.
