Built a sod house in Kansas.25

Introduced to the Seventh-day Adventist message by Swin Mortenson.914 Evangelistic meetings came to the area around 1901 and the family was converted to the Seventh-day Adventist religion.11 Heard that there was a Seventh-day Adventist grade school in Escondido, CA so J. O. Larson set out for Escondido to check it out. He liked it and they moved. He purchased 10 acres of land in Escondido. He did “orchard work” in Escondido (watering and so on).25 Ernest Milleson and his family moved with the Larson family and are living adjacent to them in the 1910 Federal Census.22

According to Mable, he turned in his 10 acre lot in Escondido, CA and had to purchase three 20 acre tracts in Chowchilla, CA. One of the tracts (the upper 20) went to Joseph and another to the Burquists.25

The Millesons moved to Chowchilla with the Larson family. There was a large group of Seventh-day Adventist families that all moved from Escondido to Chowchilla. They included the Millesons, Larsons, Peters, Browns, Nightingales, Husteds (Otto Husted?), Bancrofts, and Burquists. August Hemme moved with J.O. Larson and was already set on marrying Alma Larson at the time of the move. Some families did not stay long. 25

Although the Chowchilla SDA church was being built when the family moved from Escondido, John Larson was considered a charter member because he had moved to Chowchilla before the construction began. The real estate agent donated the 1 acre lot that the Chowchilla church still stands on. Church and school was held in the Husted house while the church was being built.25

J.O. Larson had built a barn and a shed when the family arrived, so they lived initially in the barn. They built a “little house” (which was assumedly very little) and moved into that. Then they built the “big house” which had two bedrooms and a screen house (and was big for its day) to move into.25

The exact cause of John Oscar Larson's death is uncertain. He and son Joseph were out doing some work with a skittish team of horses. Joseph stepped away for a minute and when he returned he found his father lying on the ground. He asked Joseph for a drink of water but he couldn’t drink it.25 No autopsy was done to determine the exact cause of death.17

Here is his obituary from, of all places, the Chariton (IA) Herald-Patriot:

Mr. J.O. Larson Was Killed While About His Duties in California Home

G. N. Larson of Lincoln township, received a message recently informing him of the accidental death of his brother, J. O. Larson, while engaged at work on his farm, in the San Joaquin Valley, California, about forty miles from Fresno. He and his son were working about the farm and he was on a wagon unloading posts, and when he attempted to throw one off which had a nail in it, the nail caught in his clothing, and he was thrown from the wagon in such a manner as to break his neck. He articulated only a word or two before he died. The deceased grew to manhood in Lincoln township, in this county, and went to Kansas about forty years ago. He remained there twenty years, going to California where he had resided the past two decades. He was 65 years of age and is survived by his wife and a family of seven grown children. He was one of a family of nine children, three only surviving, they being G. N. Larson, of this county; A. H. Larson, who resides in Kansas; and another borther, D. A. Larson, who has resided in Saskatchewan, Canada for a number of years.915