Larry Charles Riegel
Larry Charles Riegel, age 77, went to be with the Lord on Aug. 19, 2021, after a short battle with COVID. Larry was born on Oct. 21, 1943, in Braymer, MO, the son of Alta (Cox) and Charles Riegel. He was the fourth child, having three older sisters. Larry’s mother died when he was in eighth grade, and his three sisters helped to raise him to be a loving, caring man.
Larry graduated from Braymer High School in 1961, and then joined the US Air Force. Larry met the love of his life, Linda (Cooper) in Marinette, WI, while he was stationed near there with the Air Force. They were united in marriage on Oct. 15, 1966. After Larry left the service, they moved to Kansas City, where they had their first child, Mark, in 1969. The family moved to Colorado for a brief time before returning to the Kansas City area, where they had their two daughters, Amie, in 1973, and April, in 1976. They lived in Kearney and Holt for a time before moving to Marshfield. During that time Larry and Linda owned and operated a shoe store on the square in Marshfield. Mark graduated high school in Marshfield, and then the family moved to Excelsior Springs where Amie and April graduated high school.
Larry loved the Lord and enjoyed sharing the gospel of Christ with anyone he met. He made friends everywhere and continued those friendships forever. Larry was active in all of the churches he attended throughout his life, and he met many amazing friends he loved to fellowship with. He and Linda loved spending time with their three children and eight grandchildren. After Linda’s death in 2017, from pulmonary fibrosis, Larry picked back up his favorite hobby of playing golf. He had a regular crew of golfing buddies that he would play with several times a week. Larry also loved visiting his friends Joe Arnold in Florida and Wayne Sims in Colorado each year. Another of Larry’s favorite things to do was fellowship with friends. From his weekly bible studies with Wayne Johnston to the yearly class reunions in Braymer, he was always ready to sit and talk.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Alta and Charles Riegel; his sisters, Dorothy Kavanaugh and Iris Clevenger; and his loving wife Linda, of 51 years of marriage.
He is survived by one sister, Kate Lewis; three children, Mark (Nicole) Riegel of Excelsior Springs, Amie (Chris) Donaldson of Leawood, and April (Scott) Craven of Excelsior Springs; and eight grandchildren, Madeline, Emma, Owen, Trent, Megan, Ian, Garret, and Finn.
Larry will be sadly missed by all of his family and friends, but we are at peace knowing that he is with his Heavenly Father and with his wife in Heaven. A visitation will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., with service following on Saturday, Sept. 4, at the First Baptist Church of Kearney.
Arrangements are under the direction of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home.
