Jeanette Carol (Raver) Auen was born January 17, 1939, in Hot Springs, SD. She was the eldest of five children born to Lloyd and Gladys (Brown) Raver. She grew up on the Raver Family Ranch in Custer, SD.

She graduated from Custer High School in 1957 and married Melvin C. Larson. From this union came five children.

She later attended Black Hills State University and obtained a master's degree in psychology. In 1996, she retired as the director of drug and alcohol rehabilitation at Ft. Meade VA Medical Center.

After retiring, this independent lively woman decided to pursue her lifelong dream of traveling. Her first stop was Alaska, where she met her good friend and travel companion, David Barbelo. They visited Mexico, Arizona, and traveled from the East Coast to the West Coast and more.

Jeanette was a loving, inspiring, and tenacious woman who could accomplish anything she set her mind to. When she was 62, she went on a 100 mile backpacking trip through the mountains of California and went skydiving for her 70th birthday.

She loved volksmarches, fishing, camping, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Jeanette is survived by her siblings, Joe Raver, Custer, Kathy (Chuck) Wright, Rapid City, and Ben Raver, Custer; four children, Ron Larson, Sturgis, Lawana (Jeff) Gramm, Mesa, AZ, Cheryl (Bergie) Bergstrom, Summerset, and Dan (Jonni) Larson, Sturgis; grandchildren, Jennifer Mitsos, Rapid City, SD, Brandon (Toni) Larson, Gillette, WY, Trent (Nicole) Bruce, Sioux Falls, SD, Eleisha (Danny) Dooley, Custer, Melissa (Josh) Percy, Gillette, WY, Jesse Lewton, Lead, SD, Amanda (John) Owen, Ekalaka, MT, and Loren (Melissa) Larson, Sturgis, SD; and 19 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; infant daughter, Valerie Gail; and sister, Mary Francis.

After a courageous battle, she lost her fight to cancer at Sturgis Regional Hospital on March 8, 2016. She will be greatly missed.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday March 15, 2016, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. Inurnment will be at a later date.

A memorial has been established to the Lippold Hospice Suite at Sturgis Regional Health Care Center.