Larry Eugene, was born on June 5, 1945, in Goessel, Kansas, to parents Edna (Unger) and Ferd Schmidt. He graduated from Goessel High School, after setting the school high jump record. He enjoyed helping on the family farms and helping with the family’s custom cutting business that worked harvests from the Dakotas to Texas. He graduated from Kansas State University with honors in 1968, with a degree in agricultural education. At K-State, he was a proud member of Farmhouse fraternity and was involved in a variety of clubs and organizations in K-State’s College of Agriculture, including the meat judging team. In his senior year, he married Sue Engle of Madison, Kansas (now Sue Barrientos, of Piedmont, Oklahoma), and they eventually made their home in Arkansas City, Kansas. Larry became the Ag instructor at Arkansas City High School, where he sponsored an awardwinning Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter and, for many students, became their favorite teacher. He then started his banking career at Home National Bank. Larry and Sue had two children, Brody and Ashley, and moved back to the Goessel area. Larry sheparded efforts to open a local bank for the agricultural community, the Wheatland Bank of Goessel, where he then went on to serve as bank president. He was the president of the Kansas Association of Bank Agricultural Representatives in the late 1970s.

Larry was phenomenal at water-skiing; he and his friends spent their summers slalom skiing and he eventually introduced his children and grandchildren to water sports. His idea of a “ski trip” was water skiing several hundred miles down the Kerr Navigation System of locks from the top of the White River down through parts of the Mississippi River, once attracting local reporters to their effort, as he and his friends were the first (crazy) ones to accomplish this feat. Even late in life, Larry shared his love of the water with his family and friends. If you ever met him, he probably invited you to the lake. He had a lifetime love of cars that was sparked by his Uncle Elmer. What started as drag racing on the streets eventually grew up into a stock car racing obsession. He had a fondness for left-hand turns and fast Fords. In the 1980s, Larry raced stock cars around Kansas bright yellow cars, emblazoned with the number L87 with his home track being 81 Speedway in Wichita. In the late 1980s, he consistently ranked in the Top 10 for the Roadrunner stock class. The 1990s saw career changes and a series of moves that ended in Oklahoma, with a long stint in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, where he helped grow Wells Ranch Supply to the largest fleet of paddle wagon trailers serving Purina Mills. He then moved to Alva, Oklahoma to run an over-the-road refrigerated transport company, ML&C Trucking. In the early 2000s, Larry met Debra Hogan, whom he would eventually marry.

Larry and Debra spent several years of their retirement traveling the southern United States with their travel trailer until she lost her battle with cancer in 2019. Larry missed her dearly and poured his time into helping his son’s business, SPI, and chasing his grandchildren. Known to his grandchildren as “PaPa”, Larry loved all of the grandpa duties that came his way and would drop everything for his grandchildren. He spent countless hours in his garage, which he always called his favorite room of the house. He loved farming with his brother Ron in Kansas and always looked forward to harvest. And he loved good conversation; he could talk with anyone about almost anything. His family and friends will miss him, and those good conversations, dearly. Larry is preceded in death by his wife Debra Hogan, his parents Ferd and Edna Schmidt, and his sister-inlaw Judy Schmidt.

Larry’s surviving family members include son Brody Schmidt, and granddaughters Lyla and Kelsey Schmidt, of Alva, Oklahoma; daughter Ashley Krause, her husband Jay, and grandchildren Henry, Alice and Lucy Krause, of Denver, Colorado; stepson Michael Hogan and his wife, Shanda of Fort Collins, Colorado and grandchildren Braden Hogan and Ciara Johnson; brother Ron Schmidt of Lehigh; sister Sharon Schroeder and her husband Richard, of Topeka, Kansas; brother Jerol Schmidt and his wife Delome of Goessel, Kansas; many nieces and nephews, and their children; and his beloved dog, Bella. Wharton Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements Condolences may be made online at www.whartonfuneralchapel.com In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Larry’s name either to the local Griefshare group that Larry benefitted from and participated in following the passing of his wife Debra (send to: Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church, Attn: Griefshare, 1600 E. State Rd., Fairview, OK 73737), or to Nash Christian Church, 116 N. Main Street, Nash, OK 73761, the church that Larry attended with his grandchild in his later years.