Plymouth Church’s Generous and Unexpected Bequest

In September of 2025 Plymouth Church received an unexpected gift of $2.25 million from the estate of Christine Larsen.  Who was Christine Larsen?  Why did her estate leave such a sizable bequest to Plymouth Church?  Why were the assets from her trust distributed to both Plymouth Church and to Christ the King, a Catholic Church in south Minneapolis?

Sleuthing by David Langemo and the Archives Committee turned up some interesting information.  Christine’s father was Roy W. Larsen, one of the founders of Twin Cities Federal Bank; he was a trustee at Plymouth Church from 1951 to January 1954.  As President, CEO and Chair of the Board of Twin City Federal, he was wealthy.  He might have been a friend or acquaintance of Howard Conn, who then recruited him as a Trustee.  Roy and his wife, Eleanor, joined Plymouth in 1946, and Roy remained a member until his death in 1976.

Eleanor, however, was placed on “inactive” status by the Deacons in 1953.  In those years regular attendance was required for membership at Plymouth.  Eleanor’s mother had been Catholic and is buried at St Mary’s Catholic cemetery in south Minneapolis.  Eleanor was perhaps more Catholic than Congregational.

Christ the King reported that Roy and Eleanor’s daughter Christine used a wheelchair.  After both her parents passed away in 1976, she had a caregiver and needed assistance and companionship from aids, guardians, and conservators.  Although she did not register at Christ the King, she attended Mass there.  She died on December 8, 2024, at age 83, and her funeral occurred at Christ the King on December 31, with interment in Lakewood Cemetery.

Roy and Eleanor likely had established a trust to provide for Christine’s care upon their death.  It is probable that the terms of the Trust specified that upon Christine’s death, the remaining funds would be split and bequeathed to the churches of each parent—Roy’s church being Plymouth and Eleanor and Christine’s church being Christ the King.

We are thankful for Roy and Eleanor’s generosity.

Archives Committee, January 19, 2026