In recognition of a life well lived, Larry James Faulkner surrounded by family, passed at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri after suffering a stroke at the age of 79. Larry was born on December 6, 1945 to Edward Chester “Buck” Faulkner and Frances Leona (Gordon) Faulkner. He was born at the Susan B Allen Memorial Hospital in El Dorado, Kansas, as were all three of his daughters. Larry grew up in El Dorado with his family, Buck, Frances and two sisters, Joy Lee Faulkner Howry and Lynda Jean Faulkner Varner. He spent as much of his childhood, and adulthood for that matter, fishing and hunting every chance he could. He was known to ride his tricycle around with a pocket full of snake or toads.
Larry married Carol Sue Williams on September 6, 1964, in El Dorado, Kansas. Larry’s childhood was spent in El Dorado and he and Carol began their lives together there as well. Larry had many jobs growing up, mowing lawns, carting ice, and primarily driving his father around the oil well leases they tended as a family. One of Larry’s family neighbors was Carol’s uncle Roy who lived a few houses down. It was through this connection that Larry met Carol. Their families vacationed together at Many Points Lake and Lake Itasca, Minnesota.
He had a brief stint as a roofer, and then sparked by a childhood memory of linemen climbing poles in front of their house (he liked climbing things), he went to trade school to become a Wichita Lineman. Larry moved the family to Fort Scott Kansas in 1973 where he worked the remainder of his life with KG&E (Kansas Gas and Electric) which became Westar.
Larry was an avid hunter and fisherman and considered himself a farmer. He spent many holidays and Summers hunting pheasant and quail in western Kansas and Elk just west of Cannon City, Colorado with relatives where they often were caught up in snow storms in nothing by Summer tents. Beyond hunting and fishing, Larry loved county music and could whistle a mean George Jones or Hank Williams tune.
Larry settled his family in a 100 year old stone farmhouse east of Fort Scott and had many adventures there. Many hours were spent tending garden, pruning orchard trees, raising a multitude of animals and clearing the surrounding woods cutting firewood most weekends. Whenever possible, the family would travel to Stockton Lake, El Dorado Lake, Marion Lake..do you see a theme? One of our favorite Larry stories at the farm, and there were many, was when he decided to “help” his daughters by sorting a fire cracker out of a large pile of fireworks with a newly welded piece of steel and set off World War III with tiny rockets, missiles, and parachutes flying everywhere and the girls diving for cover. Larry and Carol later in life raised quail to sell to restaurants and nature preserves before auctioning off the farm.
Larry retired after 30 plus years, and with Carol, sold the farm and traveled for many years before resettling near friends in Colony, Kansas. Larry and Carol traveled all over northern Minnesota, and into Canada through Ontario and Saskatchewan where they found many new friends, specifically at Cranberry Portage near Grass River Provincial Park in Manitoba Canada. Larry, Carol and their grandson Morgan spent many Summers here from as soon as the ice broke in May through September, with other family visiting when they were able.
Larry was preceded in death by his father, Buck, and his mother, Frances as well as both of his sisters, Joy and Lynda. He is survived by his wife Carol, his three daughters; Diana Kay Faulkner Stoughton and husband Fredric, her sons Mackenzie, Mitchell (Katelyn), and Morgan; Toni Renee Faulkner Peterson and husband Christopher, her children Riley, Bennett, and McKenna; and Trudy Rae Faulkner; along with his great grandchildren, Aidan, Brodie, Callen, and Cobie.
When asked if he would have done anything different, Larry responded, “I would invest in the oil stockmarket. I had a good life, family, and some good friends, Never took no shit off of anyone. Tried to be as honest as I could be. No regrets.”
Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 12th at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to Care to Share and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
