Lara Kathryn Packard

Lara Kathryn Packard, age 50, of Dassel, died Saturday, November 10, 2018, at her significant others home in Atwater from a medical event, and is held in her lords loving arms. A funeral service will be held on Friday, November 16, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Lamson Evangelical Free Church in Dassel with Rev. Mike Newsom officiating. The interment will be held at the Pioneer Cemetery in rural Dassel. There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service on Friday at the Lamson Evangelical Free Church. The Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Lara Kathryn (Mattson) Packard, the daughter of Gayle and Kathryn (Johnson) Mattson, was born on January 25, 1968, in Litchfield, Minnesota. She grew up in the Dassel area where she attended and graduated from Dassel – Cokato High School in 1986. Lara continued her education and had completed her Certified Nursing Assistant degree. She never gave up her dream of obtaining her Registered Nursing degree. On November 15, 1997, Lara was united in marriage to Darin Packard at the Lamson Evangelical Free Church in Dassel. Together they made their home in Burnsville before moving to Dassel. Lara and her daughter, Alexandra moved to South Haven for awhile before they moved back to Dassel. Lara had worked as a CNA, a Home Health Aid and Personal Care Assistant in nursing homes and for numerous families. Lara loved the Lord. She enjoyed researching and studying the bible. She loved to read and spent many hours researching health topics that could help her potentially help others. She was a marvelous cook and loved to try out new recipes she had found. She loved gardening and growing her own food. She would dream of living on the lake owning a little hobby farm. She loved so hard, she had a special heart that cared for everyone she met. She is survived by her daughter, Alexandra Packard of Dassel and her special friend, Colfay Pointer, her parents, Gayle and Kathryn Mattson of Dassel, siblings, Spencer (Michelle) Mattson of Dassel, Leslie (Randal) Erickson of Rogers, paternal grandmother, Marjorie Mattson of Cokato, aunts and uncles, Bernelle (Larry) Hansen, Barbara Price, Douglas Conboy, Charles (Vanh Sisaket) Johnson and Bruce (Kathy) Johnson. She is also survived by nieces Emalie (Jordon Frericks), Miah, & Madeline Mattson, Lydia, Greta & Anika Erickson and nephews Evan & Micah Mattson, great nephew Avery Frericks, and numerous other relatives. She is further survived by special friend Mark Downes. She was preceded in death by grandparents, Milton Mattson, Rudolph and Violet Johnson, aunt Beverly Conboy, uncle James Price and a cousin Heather Hansen.

Lara Kathryn Packard

January 25, 1968 - November 10, 2018