Lawrence Myers, 1920-2010

A valuable, if indirect, contributor to our family history research has passed from this life. Cousin Gail Myers informed me that his elder brother, Lawrence, died suddenly of a stroke the evening of July 29.

Larry was born November 27, 1920, in Clark, SD. Like Gail, he was the son of Lawrence Myers and Pauline Engen. The elder Lawrence was a brother of my grandfather Dan Myers; both were sons of Stephen Bennett Myers, whose Civil War service we are currently exploring on this site.

While Larry and I never met, nor had direct contact, I am deeply grateful for the information and documents he has contributed, through his brother Gail. My prayers for comfort and consolation for Larry’s entire family.

Here is Larry’s obituary from the Sheboygan (WI) Press Aug. 01, 2010

Mr. Lawrence Myers, 89, of Sheboygan Falls, died suddenly Thursday evening, July 29, 2010 at St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan, WI.

Born November 27, 1920 in Clark, Clark County, SD, Lawrence was the son of Lawrence Myers and Pauline Mina (Engen) Myers. He attended Clark Elementary and High School.

Lawrence, a WWII veteran, was a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps stationed in North Africa and Italy. He was a navigator on B-24 bombers, on 51 combat missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bringing their badly crippled aircraft and wounded crew to safety after a raid on the Ploesti oil fields.

While home on leave, he met the love of his life, Edith Shipley Hutchinson. They were united in marriage on June 20, 1946 in Huron, SD.

Post service, Lawrence graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines with a degree in geologic engineering. He worked in oil exploration for Amerada Oil Company which brought him to Midland, TX, Billings, MT, and finally, to Tulsa, OK in 1960. Lawrence was a consultant and nationally recognized authority on the Permian Basin and completed his career with KWB before retiring in 1986.

Lawrence was a Boy Scout troop leader and enjoyed taking his wife and sons on camping trips and backpacking excursions in the western U.S. He was a lifelong member of the Lutheran church. He and his wife led Sunday service at a Tulsa nursing home for 20 years. In retirement, he volunteered as a docent and catalogued artifacts at the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa.

On July 6, 1991 Lawrence and Edith were honored to be the Grand Marshalls at the 175th anniversary parade of Sunbury, OH. The town was founded by his great-great-grandfather Lawrence Myers and his little brother William who had moved west from Forty Fort, PA.

Lawrence was a wonderfully warm and loving man who lived his life by a code of honor and integrity. He will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him.

In addition to his wife, Edith, he is survived by his four sons, Lawrence of Durango, CO, David (Gloria) of Ipswich, SD, Kevin (Charlotte) of Kohler, WI, and Brian (Mary) of Adair, OK; grandchildren, Larry, Justin, Erin, Kelly, Melody, Erik, Laura, Bennett, and Evan. He is further survived by his younger brother, Gail E. Myers, Jacksonville, OR and five great-grandchildren.

His parents and older sister, Mary Helen (Myers) Aldous, preceded him in death.

Funeral Services for Lawrence will be at the Lippert-Olson Funeral Home, Sheboygan on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 7:00 P.M. Reverend Todd Smith of First United Lutheran Church will officiate. Family and friends will be welcome at the funeral home from 5:00 P.M. until the time of the service. There will be graveside services held in White River, South Dakota on August 14.

The family requests that any memorial gifts may be made to the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, or The Myers Inn and Museum, Historical Society, Sunbury, OH 43074, or the youth groups of either First United Lutheran Sheboygan or Bethany Lutheran, Tulsa.

Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at lawrencemyers@lippertfuneralhome.com.

The Lippert Olson Funeral Home has been entrusted with his arrangements.