Braham (MN) Journal: "Large Assemblage Pays Last Tribute to Gust Larson. Gust Larson, founder and president of the Braham Granite Works, and prominent not only in the local community but over a wide territory in this and neighboring states thru more than 30 years in the monument business was given a final tribute to his memory last Thursday afternoon when several hundred friends, business associates and relatives were in attendance at his funeral services. Mr. Larson passed away the preceding Sunday afternoon, November 6, after a brief illness. Until two weeks prior to his passing he was active in his work, but an attack of pneumonia, apparently arrested, left him susceptible to complications which proved fatal. He was 73 years at his demise. Born in Sweden, at Medelplana, Skaraborgsland, March 31, 1865, Mr. Larson there attended school and remained until the age of 20 when he immigrated to America. Going first to Mankato, where he found employment, he later went to St. Paul and there married November 26, 1891 to August M. Carlson. The couple continued to live there for 10 years, coming with their children to the Braham community in 1901. For a few years they resided at Grass Lake, later moving to the village where they have since made their home. In 1907 Mr. Larson founded what is now the Braham Granite Works. Later with his three sons he incorporated the concern in which he remained as president until his death. The sons, Edwin G., Arthur N., Philip T., and the one daughter, Miss Edith, all of Braham, now survive their father. Mrs. Larson passed away in November, 1934. There are five grandchildren. Thru years of careful work and knowledge of the monument industry from selection of stone, thru the various processes of manufacturing production, designing, and to the final erection, Mr. Larson with his sons succeeded, in a small town, in building up a monument concern whose memorials are known to be comparable to, and even surpassing, the best produced in larger centers. The maintenance of branch offices in Minneapolis and Superior, in addition to the manufacturing plants in Braham and Superior, has meant extension of sales into several states. Mr. Larson was active not only in his business but was interested also in church work, serving for six years on the board of deacons of the Braham Ev. Lutheran church, and in the village work as council member for one term. On Thursday the body lay in state in the Ev. Lutheran church, following the service in the home at twelve o'clock noon, until the funeral ceremony at two o'clock. Dr. A.T. Lundholm officiated. Serving as honorary escort were Charles Ahlgren of St. Cloud, Gust Anderson, N.E. Anderson, G.G. Ledin, J.A. Monson, Severin Mattson, O.A. Olson and F.O. Rock of Braham. Members of the Granite Works' sales force, B.M. Strombeck, H.E. Salo, A.R. Tiedeman, Milton V. Edstrom, Albert G. Aschenbeck and Frank Wiberg, were the active pallbearers. At the home service Joe Johnson sang 'Triggare kan ingen vara' and at the church rites the senior choir rendered 'Abide with Me' and 'Still, Still with Thee,' and a quartet Dr. and Mrs. Lundholm and Mr. and Mrs. Monson sang 'Till det härliga land.' Miss Helma Bong played the processional music and accompaniments. At the interment rites, at the Rice Lake Lutheran cemetery, the quartet sang 'Klippa du som brast för mig.' Attending the services from a distance were Mr. and Mrs. Owen Wold, Miss Ann Carlsten, Mrs. Arthur Carlsten, Joe Frantesl, Ray Schoenrock, George Schaff, Mrs. Lowell Dodge, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wiberg, Charles Rock and Mrs. Ulrich Erickson, all of St. Paul; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sandberg, sons Frederick and Ross, Mrs. Carl Christopherson, Mrs. Sophia Anderson, Charles Brown, A.R. Tiedeman, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Aschenbeck, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Goetze, Mrs. Zelma Thyberg, Miss Helen Thyberg and B. McEachren, all of Minneapolis; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ahlgren, Miss Mabel Ahlgren, Walter Larson and Mr. and Mrs. T.O. Benson, all of St. Cloud; Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Salo and B.M. Strombeck of Duluth; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Comstock of Coleraine; George J. Hegstrom of Grand Forks, No. Dak., J.O. Ronnie and Ellis Seavey of Aitkin, Mr. and Mrs. E.R. McClintick of Wyoming, and Milton Edstrom, Fred Peterson and A.J. Hyllengren of Cannon Falls."

[Gust Larson, born Johan August Larsson, was the son of Lars Månsson (1831-1890) and Johanna Jonsdotter (1830-1885). He received permission to emigrate to North America from Dalagården, Medelplana parish, Skaraborgs län, 1 March 1886.]