Allen M. Larvick

MIDDLETON- Allen M. Larvick, age 91, died after a brief illness on Saturday, April 6, 2019. He was born near Deforest, Wis. on July 6, 1927 to Johan “John” and Myrtle (Larson) Larvick. He attended Ella Wheeler Wilcox elementary school near the family farm. Allen’s father died at 42 years old when Allen was only 7 years old. With his mother and sister, Allen moved to Madison and attended East High School, where he competed in track and field and was state pole vault champion in 1945. He graduated high school after serving in the U.S. Army during post-World War II occupation in Paris. During a leave in 1946, he traveled to Erfjord, Norway to see the birthplace of his father and visit aunts, uncles and cousins. He would return for a visit fifty years later in 1996. Upon his return from France in 1947, Allen embarked on what would become a four-decade career with NCR. He was a service technician for a range of products, including mechanical cash registers in his early career to digital, computer-based systems later in his career. He retired from NCR in 1988. Allen was an avid outdoorsman. He found his faith and spiritualism in nature. Many hours were spent with family and friends on his simple fishing boat on lakes Mendota and Monona. Allen also traveled numerous times with good friend, Fred Salzwedel, and cousin, Harold Watland, to fish at Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. He also enjoyed deer, pheasant, grouse and turkey hunting. After retiring, he hung up his rods and rifles and replaced them with a sickle, creating hiking trails on his wooded property near Tomah. He built a log cabin and lived most of his retirement years there before moving to Mount Horeb to be closer to family. His final residence was Milestone Senior Living in Cross Plains. Allen was an extraordinary uncle, creating experiences and lifelong memories for his nieces and nephews. He loved his sister Evelyn’s children, Linda, Terry, Rhonda and Brian, as if they were his own, and they loved him equally as much. Allen took all them on trips after they graduated high school, and documented more than 40 years of family life in home movies. Allen is survived by his nieces and nephews, Linda Newton (Tom), Terry Kurth (Kathy), Rhonda Lewis (John) and Brian Kurth (Wade Fickler). He is also survived by his cousin, Helen Watland Newton; four great-nieces; four great-nephews; four great-great nieces; seven great-great nephews; and many cousins in Wisconsin and Norway. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Evelyn Kurth; brother-in-law, Harold Kurth; cousin, Harold Watland; and friend, Fred Salzwedel. Services will be held at GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 7435 University Ave, Middleton at 9 a.m. on Good Friday, April 19, 2019. A graveside honor guard burial ceremony will immediately follow at Sunset Memory Gardens, 7302 Mineral Point Rd, Madison. Memorial contributions may be made in Allen’s name to the Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM) to prevent homelessness and end hunger. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson West Funeral & Cremation Care 7435 University Ave. (608) 831-6761