Larry Lynn Clark departed earth September 9, 2022. Born on Christmas Sunday 1938, Larry was deemed “our best Christmas present ever” by his two older sisters. He was the first son of Lawrence LaClede (Windy) and Gladys Mae Spengler Clark. Larry’s formal education began in a one-room school, Longbranch. After unification, he attended USD 200 at Mayfield before graduating high school in Wellington. At the age of fifteen, due to a car accident in which his father was severely injured, Larry stepped up to take over the family farming operation which included beef cattle and sheep as well as crops. Larry had a passion for games of all kinds, sports, board games, card games, marbles, darts, etc. He had a gift for inventing games and wanted to make it his profession, but realized that the burgeoning television industry would render that an unwise move. So, he majored in mathematics at McPherson College. He taught three years at Gypsum and Kiowa, but remained his dad’s right-hand-man during the summers both on the farm and custom cutting in western Kansas. It was at a grain elevator where his attention was captured by a Corbin girl who argued with him about the moisture quality in his load of wheat. Although it took a few years of coaxing, he and Elaine May Evans were wed May 22nd, 1963 and promptly left for the University of Arkansas where both of them obtained their masters’ degrees. They moved to Arkansas City where Larry taught math at Cowley College for over two decades. He and Elaine were active in the First United Methodist Church there and enjoyed the fellowship of card playing friends even after moving to Mayfield on the family farm. Their three boys were raised in the Mayfield Federated Church where Larry had been a youngster as well. After relocating to rural Wellington, Larry taught a few years at Oxford and Christian Challenge in Wichita before taking a position with the Kansas Turnpike Authority. He worked there long enough to retire with a lifetime turnpike pass. He was called to teach math yet again at Wellington after his stint on the turnpike. Larry was treasurer for Take His Heart Ministries and continued ‘farming’ with an asparagus bed, blackberry patch and garden plot. He canned, made whole wheat bread, kept a few sheep and created killer home-made ice cream for most every family event.
Larry was predeceased by his parents; in-laws Beryl and Verna Evans; beloved wife of fifty-one years, Elaine; sister and brother-in-law Opal D. & Wayne Jones; brother-in-law Norman Callison; sister-in-law Dorothy Evans Cooper;
He is survived by siblings- Lorene (Gene) Moore of Springfield, MO; Roxy Callison of Winfield; Dan (Barbara) Clark of Mayfield; sons- Cy (Lynnelle) Clark of Colorado Springs, CO; Rustin (Mariah) Clark of Wellington; Troy Clark of Belle Plaine; 21 grandchildren and spouses; 7 great grandchildren; sister-in-law Mary Lou Holcomb of Lawrence; brother-in-law Wilt Cooper of Littleton, CO; a plethora of nieces, nephews, cousins and one uncle.
A celebration of his time with us will be held at Mayfield Federated Church, 10:00 a.m. October 15th. All are invited to a soup luncheon and an afternoon of games following the service. Memorial contributions can be given in his name to the Sumner County 4-H Development Fund, 320 N. Jefferson Ave., Wellington, KS 67152, Contributions can be mailed or left with the funeral home.
Share a memory, leave condolences or sign his digital tribute book at www.cornejofuneralhome.com Arrangements by Cornejo Funeral Home + Crematory, 1030 Mission Road, Wellington, Kansas.
