Priscilla "Sally" Van Allen

Priscilla “Sally” May Johnson Larson Van Allen entered Heaven on September 3, 2024. Afflicted with Alzheimer's for her last years, she passed away at home under hospice care after a short yet dramatic decline. Sally was born on March 10, 1935, in Superior, Wisconsin, to Gladys May (Ridge) and Frank Joseph Johnson. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Theodore “Ted” L. Larson; father; mother; and sister, Rev. Harriet A. Johnson. She is survived by her husband, Richard “Dick” I. Van Allen; sons, Theodore “Ted” L. Larson of Oklahoma City, OK, Leon F. Larson (Leslie) of Plymouth, MN, Brian R. Van Allen of Deerwood, MN and John Van Allen (Rebecca) of Becker, MN; daughters, Janet M. Mescall (John) of Celoron, NY and Rachel Van Allen of Ogilvie, MN; grandchildren, Theodore “Björn” Larson (Tiffany), Fakanah “JoJo” Anthony, Erik Larson, Lydia Ener (Amir), Leah Larson (Lars), Jacob Mescall, Ashley Van Allen, Amber Rousselou (Brian), Amanda Van Allen, Dalton Lemke and Joshua Van Allen (Carrie); as well as great grandchildren, Elizabeth, Zoey, Robert, Victoria, Isaac, Haley, Brayden and Gabriel.

Sally grew up in “Nordeast” Minneapolis where she graduated from Edison High School and maintained contact with her school friends for many years. She spent two years at Augsburg then-College in Minneapolis. In her late teens, she worked summers at Mission Farms then-Bible Camp on the shores of Medicine Lake, MN. There, she met one of her lifelong friends, Jean Peterson Grimsmo of Monticello, MN. Her first ‘real’ job was at the candy counter in the Minneapolis Dayton’s Department Store where she met her first husband Ted and married him on July 31, 1955.

Ted and Sally moved to Golden Valley, MN, close to Medicine Lake. They were very active at St Louis Park Assembly of God where she particularly enjoyed being a part of the choir. She played piano for Sunday services at the Ambassador Nursing Home in New Hope, MN, for many years as Ted conducted the service. Over time, she worked at Ted’s Golden Steer Meat Market, Leeds Precision Instruments, Jewelmont Corp. and Control Data as a bookkeeper. She stayed in her home with family after Ted passed away on September 16, 1992.

Months later, her friend Jean’s husband Arve Grimsmo gently introduced Sally to Dick. Dick had recently lost his wife to cancer as well. The two hit it off and were married on January 23, 1994, at Park Assembly. This was a point of Sally’s personal testimony: The Blessings of God. She and Dick each had had a 37-year happy marriage with the first spouse, followed by what now turns out to be another 30-year happy marriage.

Following some time in Big Lake, MN, Sally and Dick built a home in Monticello in sight of the Mississippi River. The two of them were very active in the Community United Methodist Church of Monticello. They sang in the choir and Sally kept the church’s books for many years. There, they found a community of believers and friends.

In addition to playing the piano and singing, Sally liked to travel to see family and friends. Her father, Frank, was a railroad man. As a youngster, Sally traveled by train to the edges of the country including WA, CA and NY. Later, she traveled around the country and took several overseas trips to Europe, Asia and the Caribbean with each of her husbands.

Sally’s belief in God was deep and sure. She accepted Jesus as her personal Savior at a young age; she attended Shiloh-Bethany Presbyterian Church in Nordeast while she lived with her parents. She could engage in light conversation with almost anybody and yet make references to her faith in a natural, matter-of-fact way. If she could, even today, she would ask if you knew about Jesus. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Sally’s memorial will be held Thursday, September 19, 2024, at the Community United Methodist Church of Monticello. Visitation will be at 11:00AM with her Celebration of Life to follow at noon followed by a little lunch at the Church.

Interment of cremains will happen at two different sites (Golden Valley Public Cemetery and Monticello’s Riverside Cemetery) at a later date.

Her obituary can be found at https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries . The site also includes the option to leave notes and condolences.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make a donation to the church or charity of your choice.