Obituary of Larry Harmon

Graveside services for Larry Gene Harmon, age 73, of Sulphur Spring, Texas, will be held Saturday, July 7, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. at Sulphur Springs City Cemetery. Larry passed away on July 5, 2012, at his residence. No formal visitation. Larry was born July 1, 1939 in the Arbala Community, Hopkins County, Texas. He was the son of Buster Alton (Buck) Harmon and Countis Mae Whittle Harmon. He married Sharon Ann Brice on October 13, 1962 at the First Christian Church in Sulphur Springs, Texas. He is survived by his wife and two daughters: Melissa Schoenbaum and husband, Mark of Fort Collins, Colorado and Peyton Merrell of Sulphur Springs, Texas, grandchildren, Joshua Huckabee of Denton, Texas Morgan Bailey Merrell of Sulphur Springs and Andrew Schoenbaum of Fort Collins, Colorado. He is survived by one sister, Carol Mckeever of Yantis, Texas and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and one infant brother: Ivan Ray Harmon. Larry was a graduate of Sulphur Springs High School and East Texas State University in Commerce. Larry was employed for 35 years by Rockwall Manufacturing Company, which is now Flow Serve. He retired in 2007 from Grocery Supply Corporation. During his retirement he traveled the dirt roads of Hopkins and Delta counties, researching and interviewing locals for his short stories. Days on end he could be found meditating over old maps and geological surveys with his yellow legal pad brimming with notes. A colorful craftsman of the written word, he based many of his stories on characters and personalities remembered from his childhood. Other stories covered diverse subjects, from bootlegging to the Bankhead Highway. He enjoyed his association with members of the Hopkins County Genealogy Society who shared his interest in local history. Larry was always eager to point out a landmark and regale an audience with his considerable knowledge of the area. He was an avid reader especially of rural East Texas authors. He enjoyed the outdoors: hunting, fishing, and fossil hunting. Arrangements are under the direction of West Oaks Funeral Home. www.westoaksfuneralhome.com