Lawrence Paul Monnens

Lawrence P. “Larry” Monnens, 87, of Spicer, died Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Bethesda North Pointe in New London.

His Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 9, at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church in Spicer, with visitation one hour prior to the Mass. A recording of the service is available below.  Interment will be at St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in Credit River at 3:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Friends of San Lucas, Izaak Walton League or Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church.

Lawrence Paul Monnens was born November 12, 1938, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Lawrence H. and Pauline (Hennen) Monnens. He grew up and attended grade school in Prior Lake and graduated from Cretin High School in 1956 and St. Mary’s College of Minnesota in 1960. Larry received his master’s degree in educational psychology in 1961.

He lived in Alaska, where he worked as a guidance director and big game guide, flying his own plane in the bush. He later received an NDEA Post-Master’s Fellowship to study at Portland State University in 1965–66, completed another year of postgraduate work at the University of Florida in 1967–68, and served an internship at the University of Minnesota Medical School Program in Human Sexuality in 1984.

Larry worked as a licensed psychologist at the Educational Research and Development Center, West Central Community Services Center, and in private practice at Affiliated Community Medical Centers in Willmar.

Larry married Marion Casy on June 18, 1966, and they lived in Alaska, Florida, Morris, and Willmar before moving to Spicer in 1975. In 2006, he married Carol (Brown) Nickles. Larry was involved in many civic and church organizations, most recently being active in prison ministry and conservation groups. He will be remembered for his love of family and friends, his concern for his patients, and his love of wallyball, tennis, and hunting duck, turkey, and deer.

He is survived by his wife, Carol; two sons, Michael Monnens of St. Cloud and Joseph (Sarah) Monnens of Cumberland, WI; a daughter, Sara (Jon) Ryan of Mapleton, ND; and four grandchildren. Also surviving are a brother-in-law, John (Tricia) Runda of Helena, MT; Carol’s sons and their families; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marion, in 2005; two brothers, Fr. Merle Monnens and Verdon (Jeanette) Monnens; two sisters, Audrey Runda and Patricia (Raymond) Collins; and Carol’s son, Michael Nickles.

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