Lawrence Lee Tinkham was born on April 22, 1932 to Ray and Grace (Bruning) Tinkham in Helvey, Nebraska. He attended school and graduated from high school in Sargent, Nebraska. He was inducted into the United States Army on April 14, 1953. Larry served his country for two years during the Korean War, mostly at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was honorably discharged on April 13, 1955 at the rank of Private First Class.
Larry married Nancy Anabel Hust on January 20, 1957 in Imperial, Nebraska; they would remain married for 55 years. The couple made their first home in Lincoln, Nebraska while Lawrence attended Technical School in Milford, Nebraska where he studied diesel mechanics. After he received his Associated Degree the couple moved to the family farm 10 miles west of Imperial.
Lawrence made his life providing for his family and took great pride in that fact. He was a talented mechanic and welder and was proud to be a hard-working farmer. He loved to build things for his children, fixing things, riding horses on the family ranch in Sargent and watching and listening to Husker Football. Health issues forced him to move to McCook, Nebraska where he resided at the Hillcrest Nursing Home for a few years.
Larry passed away peacefully at McCook Community Hospital in McCook, Nebraska after a final battle with pneumonia on August 18, 2017. He was 85 years of age.
Preceding him in death were his parents; wife, Nancy; brother, Donald and wife, Evelyn Tinkham; brother, Raymond and wife, Bernice Tinkham; daughters, Christina Marie and Rebecca Lee Tinkham; son, Steven Paul Tinkham; sister-in-law: Norma and husband, Howard Surber and brother-in-law, Glenn Poland.
Survivors Include:
Son, Patrick and wife, Angela Tinkham of Colby, KS
Daughters: Vickie and husband, Dale Oard of Colby, KS
Sue and husband, Bill Hagemann of Culbertson, NE
Jennifer and husband, Dan Fosbinder of Wallace, NE
Barbara and husband, Clayton Baney of Brule, NE
Jane and husband, Travis Keith of Culbertson, NE
Kelcy and husband, Jeff Ruggles of McCook, NE
Sister-in-law, Laurel Poland of Sargent, NE
25 Grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren.
Memorial Services for Larry Tinkham will be 10:30 (MT), Thursday, August 24, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church of Imperial with Pastor Dirk Weiss and Rev. Melody Newman officiating. Inurnment will follow at Chase Cemetery, Rural Imperial with full Military Honors.
There will be no visitation; Larry chose cremation.
A memorial has been established in Larry’s memory.
Online condolences may be left at liewerfuneralhome.com
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