Searchers in Haiti recover body of Duluth pastors' son

by Tim Nelson, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Searchers in Haiti have recovered the body of an Iowa seminary student killed in the earthquake there.

The family of Ben Larson says that a Haitian work crew went to the site of the destroyed St. Joseph Home for Boys to look for Larson's body. He was at the orphanage with his wife and cousin when the earthquake struck on Jan. 12. The two of them escaped, but Ben did not.

Another cousin, Erin Horswill, said they got word yesterday.

"We do know they have recovered Ben's body," Horswill said.

Larson's wife told relatives she could hear him singing under the rubble for a short time after the collapse, but that the sound soon stopped. His wife told Lutheran church officials that the crew had to dig through several layers of concrete to reach Larson's body.

It is not clear when Larson's remains will be returned to the United States. A memorial service was held last week at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Larson was a fourth-year seminary student at Wartburg, in Dubuque, Iowa. His parents are Lutheran pastors in Duluth, Minn.