A Message to the Community and the Ephraim Village Cottages Family.

With deep sadness, I announce that the 2026 season will be the final season for Ephraim Village Cottages and I will wave goodbye to my final guests on September 18, 2026. It is incredibly difficult to end the Larson Family Legacy of welcoming vacationers to our slice of Heaven here in beautiful Ephraim.

Bringing this property back into the Larson family was Daryl's dream and on March 5, 2020, that dream began for the two of us. Together, and by the grace of God, we did it and had an absolute blast working the dream and living the dream at the same time. Daryl was truly in his element here. In so many ways, Daryl was Ephraim Village Cottages. His warm smile, quick wit, infectious laughter, genuine joy, and incredible knowledge of Door County—and of everyone who called it home—made every guest feel welcome.

When Daryl passed away this past January, a part of this cottage property passed with him. While I have continued operations this season in his honor and as I promised him I would, I have also come to realize that it simply is not the same without him. His presence was the heart of Ephraim Village Cottages, and without him, it is no longer the dream we built together.
To every guest who chose to stay with us over the years, you are a huge part of the story of Ephraim Village Cottages. You celebrated anniversaries, family vacations, reunions, birthdays, honeymoons, quiet getaways, and simple moments that became treasured memories. It has been an honor to be a small part of your lives.
As I prepare to close this book in the library of our story, I do so with a full heart of cherished memories. No matter what the future holds for this property, the Door County memories each of you made while staying with us will always last a lifetime.

As I welcome my final guests this season and close the doors one final time, I do so with immense gratitude, enduring love for what Daryl and I built together, immense gratefulness for what God blessed us with, and depart with faith that every ending leaves behind a beautiful legacy.

Thank you from the depths of my heart to every single guest who stayed and helped Daryl live his dream and for making this gorgeous property a part of your own tradition. My prayer for each of you is that God’s richest blessings saturate your life, that you live with gratitude for all He has done, and that peace that passes all understanding guides your every step. In the words of the man who I had the incredible honor to call my husband, who loved me like no one had, and who gave me an incredible life, “I’ll see ya when I see ya.”

In His Service -

Ruann Larson, Owner/Host
Wife of Daryl Larson (1967 - 2026)
Third Generation Owner