Firth mayor dies after lifetime of service to the community
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FIRTH — After a lifetime of service, the mayor of Firth has passed away.
Vincent Winn Larson, 70, died at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center after a battle with cancer. Larson served as Firth’s mayor for 13 years and had two years left in his current term.
“The man’s whole life was spent serving Firth,” former Firth city councilman Timothy Shurtz told EastIdahoNews.com. “His dad was the mayor. He grew up to be mayor. He taught in the Firth school district for 30 years. He worked on the fire department for 30 years … The man never stopped working.”
Shurtz worked with Larson for four years on the Firth city council. Larson also worked for Shurtz part-time at Idaho Supreme for 20 years.
“He was quite the guy,” Shurtz said.
Following Larson’s funeral services at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church building in Basalt Saturday, Sept. 7, at 11 a.m., Firth’s antique fire engine will carry Larson’s body to his final resting place at the Shelley-Hillcrest Cemetary.
The Ammon fire department is sending one of their ladder trucks to hang an American Flag on for Larson’s body to be carried under.
Shurtz said Larson loved firefighting so much that when he should have been resting, he decided to go out on one last run with the fire department.
“He couldn’t give it up,” Shutz said. “He went out on one last run with us. He tried to back the tanker engine in (the fire station) and he nailed a pole. So he’s got his own little dent in the back of it.”
Fith city council president Brandon Jolley will likely take over as acting mayor until Larson’s last two years are up.