Lawrence Hogue

Lawrence "Larry" Hogue, 84, of Harlan, Iowa, passed away Sunday, April 26, 2009, at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan.

Lawrence Lewis Hogue was born October 1, 1924, in the Loess Hills near Little Sioux, Iowa, the son of Lewis and Lillian Belle (Taylor) Hogue. Larry attended elementary school in Blencoe, Iowa, and graduated from Blencoe High School in 1942. He attended Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, before entering the Navy in 1943. He served on the U.S.S. Wadsworth DD516 as a radar man in the South Pacific Theatre during World War II, fighting in Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Guadal Canal and other important naval battles. Following the Navy, Larry attended the Central Radio and TV College in Kansas City, graduating in 1947. He also attended Electrical Engineering school in Texas.

Larry married Shirley E. Ewing December 27, 1945, at Hiawatha, Kansas. In 1947 the couple moved to Texas, in 1959 they moved to Onawa, Iowa, and in 1964 they moved to Harlan, Iowa, where he has since resided.

Larry was a master electrician having worked for Thompson Electric in Mission, Texas, Larry & Don's Electric & Sporting Goods in Onawa, Iowa, Potter's Electric in Harlan, and was chief engineer at the Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan for 23 years before retiring in 1989.

Larry was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, VFW Post 941, and was a 2 time past president of the Golden Kiwanis, all in Harlan. He also belonged to the American Society of Hospital Engineers and the Iowa Society of Hospital Engineers.

He was a talented carpenter and woodworker, having built cradles, dressers, a unicorn rocker, desks, flower stands, kitchen cabinets and many other miscellaneous items for family members. He also lovingly and precisely built all the lecterns and registry desks for his daughter and son's-in-law funeral home in Atlantic, Iowa.

Surviving Larry are his children, Bradley Hogue of Colorado, Keary (Sheri) Hogue of Harlan, Iowa, Kathie Hockenberry of Atlantic, Iowa, Debra Mangels (Russ) of Waukee, Iowa, Mark (Carla) Hogue of Omaha, Nebraska, Kevin (Michele) Hogue of Oxford, Iowa, and Kolin (Amy) Hogue of Washington, Iowa; 20 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; a sister, Margaret Dehn of Blencoe, Iowa; sister & brother-in-law, JoAnn and Don Solberg of Moorhead, Iowa; a sister-in-law, Betty Ewing of Omaha, Nebraska; and many other relatives and friends.

Larry is preceded in death by his parents, an infant brother, Elbert Hogue, his wife, Shirley in 1995; his daughter, Kelly Christiansen in 1997; his son-in-law, Scott Hockenberry in 2008.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2009, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Harlan, Iowa, with a luncheon to follow the service.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, April 29th from 1:00 - 7:00 p.m. with family present from 5:00 - 7:00 at Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.

Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery in Blencoe, Iowa.

Memorials may be directed to the Harlan Golden Kiwanis Club, Jerry Barker, 1201 College Blvd., Harlan, IA 51537.

Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.