Lawrence Elder Obituary, Death – Belvidere Roger Elder, 79, died at his Vanzant Bend Road farmhouse on January 16, 2023. Kathy, Katy Mae, and Jonathan—the farmer’s great-nephew—died. Larry sensed Southern California social unrest. Beverly and Tex were great parents, but he had to succeed. The New Long Beach Marina Thunderbird party boat sank. He liked risking. Brotherly. Lynnae. Larry’s siblings died. He was a greaser, then a hippy, a compassionate brother, a loving father, and an important uncle to many of his nephews, nieces, and great-nephews, especially Judie Lee and Randy Vinke and David, Joey, Jonathan, Michael, and Matthew Dunphy, a good friend, especially to the trivia crew, and finally and most successfully a committed farmer who created an oasis for his family at the bottom of Vanzant Bend Road in Belvidere Sunday afternoon, 1971, Kathryn Lee married him.
They loved oceans, fast boats, friends, and family. After one year of marriage, Larry and Kathy’s fathers died unexpectedly, leaving their children grandfatherless. Larry showed what it meant to have a present and supportive grandfather through scissor locks and eye-rips during summer wrestling matches, omnipresent bowls of carefully cut fruit at breakfast, tea parties with a “Chip, chip, cheerio!” and a farm where they could practice archery, gather eggs, drive tractors, ride motorcycles, and learn about lilies.
Southern California’s social upheaval and their fathers’ sudden deaths changed Larry and Kathy’s lives after their 1971 Long Beach wedding. After an emotional visit with Kathy’s Aunt Bu in Estill Springs, they moved to Tennessee with their two children in 1977. Tennessee wasn’t California. Winchester Springs bought 86 Belvidere acres.
Larry welcomed Kathy and his new surroundings. He attended Winchester First Baptist Church, coached Broadview Elementary basketball and soccer, built theater sets, and helped Kathy graduate from MTSU. Brickmason Nashville hosted Larry. Winchester stone. His kids remember pocket knife-sharpened pencils, building basketball courts and planters, and the concrete smell from carrying bricks and mud.
His children founded St. Andrew’s-Sewanee in 1984. SAS (SAS). Brian and PJ played soccer, basketball, theater, and football. Games. He watched Brian and PJ’s friends’ unaccompanied kids at games and performances. Kid-friendly. SAS 1996. PJ and Brian left the farm for the family. Masonry. Kathyrn Mae’s 2002 birth made Larry Best Papa. Grandchildren. Since retiring, he’s attended Katy Mae’s Sewanee marching band, theater, and vocal recitals, Noel’s southeast soccer games, Margo’s Santa Barbara soccer and theater, Alton’s guitar concerts, and Jessup’s farm love.
Larry skied, pulled, and drove his children and grandchildren behind his 1964 race boat on Vanzant Bend Rd. every summer. His descendants lived meaningfully. His California grandchildren will miss his constant candy, letter, and quarter mail.
Larry loved music. Concertgoer. He liked Grateful Dead, KebMo, and Los Hombres Calientes. Music—always. Dylan, Jethro Tull, CCR, Steely Dan, Ice Cube, Sublime, Beasties. Music shaped his kids’ worldview. The 1980s punished PJ and Brian for retrieving Kathy’s trashed cassette. Larry. Larry knew. Loving. Excelled. He died on MLK Day, fittingly. Giver. Respected Larry. Remember. His kids are like Larry’s friends. Larry’s family mourns. His family will remember his tattoos, fires, recycling, and oil changing systems, raceboat and how it feels to be in or skiing behind it, scratchy beard, love of the Minnesota Vikings, hatred of air travel, “Don’t taze me, bro” t-shirt, tractor rides, early mornings stripping tobacco, and finding him perched alone on Kathy Elder’s four jacks, his soul mate of nearly 52 years.
Tennessee farm goodbye party, February 12. Soon. PJ (pjcarmean@gmail.com) tells family Larry stories. St. Andrew’s-Sewanee and St. Jude’s receive memorial donations.