Drew Hamilton Larson

Drew Hamilton Larson; a loving partner, beloved father, and inspiring mentor to many.

Drew Larson, 59, of Braham, MN, passed away Saturday, September 25, 2021. Drew was born February 10, 1962 to Mary Ann and Donald Larson. He grew up in Minneapolis before moving to Pine City, where he met the love of his life, Kelly Mattson. Drew and Kelly’s love for each other is undisputed, as they were together for 38 years. Drew and Kelly had two children together, McKenzie in 1997 and then Izak in 2000. Drew loved his children dearly. He was a father before anything else.

Drew’s career spans two major phases. His love of cooking began at Naomi’s Eat Shop, where he first learned how to cook, followed by Nicoll’s Cafe, and Copper Tree; all in Pine City. Drew was the head chef at The Purple Hawk in Cambridge for 14 years, where people would come from miles around to taste his cooking. He had that kitchen running like a well-oiled machine. To quote him, “I had the timing down on everything. I could point at the toaster *points* and the toast would pop up”. Drew had free reign of the kitchen and the results spoke for themselves; he truly was an extremely talented chef. Once he started a family, he moved to Cambridge Metals and Plastics (CMP) where he became the lead there. Drew was a jokester, and people loved him dearly for his sense of humor. But through the jokes, many thanked him for the guidance he gave them. He didn’t care who you were or what walk of life you had, he would help you if you needed it. He was an avid fisherman and loved to be out on the lake. He loved building things and trying to make new things out of leftover pieces. Though he no longer worked in a kitchen, his love of cooking never waned. He would be working his kitchen whenever he could, whipping up large meals over the holidays or spoiling his children when they came home to visit. His love for his family was unquestioned. Through many trips to Florida and countless afternoons spent on the lake, he put them before everything else and always made sure to be present in their lives.

Drew was taken too soon due to an aggressive form of lung cancer. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Larson; siblings Debbi Odegard and Paula Larson; mother-in-law Shirley Mattson; brothers-in-law Roy Mattson, John Hanson, Kenneth Stroud; and nephew Nick Swanson. He is survived by partner Kelly Mattson; daughter McKenzie (Dustin) Johnson; son Izak Larson; mother Mary Ann Latourelle; siblings Tod (Cheryl) Larson, Heather (Mark) Pierskalla, and Wendy (Chris) Jeub; siblings-in-law Judith Stroud, Ruth Ann (Sam) Stuart, Juli (Rick) Maukstad, Beth (Kendall) Jones, Lori Mattson; many nieces, nephews, and other family members.

Pastor Teleen Saunders will officiate funeral services for Drew: 1 PM; Thursday, September 30, 2021 at the Swanson Funeral Chapel in Pine City.  A time of visitation will be held from 5 -7 PM Wednesday (9/29) at the funeral chapel.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to: Funeral And Cremation Service of Pine City, Swanson Chapel
FuneralAndCremationService.com