Larry Clinton Gamblin exchanged his 85-year-old worn and weary body for a new one Thursday, January 30th, 2025. Larry was a loving, humble and Godly husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to all of us throughout his life. Along with his love for God, family and friends, Larry loved this country, and the land God created, with tremendous blessing of working the soil, planting and watering seeds and the increase God gave from that diligent desire to provide for his family in this earthly life.
Larry was born July 31, 1939 on South Davis Street in Sulphur Springs, Texas, to Clinton Payne and Janna Lou Allen Gamblin. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law, Winston Waggoner.
Larry is survived by his loving wife, Alice, son Gregg and wife Tammy, of Mt Vernon, Texas, daughter Cami and husband Ken Scheid of Gilmer, Texas. Papa Larry is also survived by grandchildren Will Gamblin (Ashlynn), Rynn Gamblin, Danielle Chambless, Joseph Scheid, Phillip Scheid (Sarah) and great-grandchildren Stetson Gamblin, Anna and Owen Scheid.
Larry’s love for the land began as a very young child as he rode in a wooden crate atop a two-row cultivator while his dad and mom farmed 45 acres of cotton near Sulphur Springs. Larry attended schools in Seminole and Odessa before moving with his family to Dimmitt, Texas in 1955, where he began school at midterm as a sophomore. At that time, he lived 15 miles south of town and he rode the school bus for a short time, along with a girl named Alice Waggoner, who would later become the love of his life.
Larry and Alice were high school sweethearts and they were married on June 12, 1958, after Alice graduated high school and Larry attended Texas Tech University during his freshman year.
Larry was always eager and anxious to be working. His first drivers license at 16 years old was commercial so he could drive a butane transport truck to and from the plant to help with his father’s butane delivery business.
Larry’s love of agriculture and the fact that the area around Dimmitt, Texas was a farming-based community made it easy for him to choose that profession for 12 years, before selling the farm equipment and moving his family to Sulphur Springs, Texas. He then began another branch of agriculture in the dairy industry, beginning a partnership in which he owned and operated “Still Meadow Dairy” in the Pine Forest area of Hopkins County.
In 1974 Larry was elected chairman of the Hopkins County Dairy and Beef Producers Association and he was instrumental in representing dairymen in Washington D.C. at USDA Congressional Hearings.
Larry worked a few years with Farmers Co-op in calculating feed rations and sales for local dairymen, before enlarging his trucking business which hauled manufactured homes, beginning with Sulphur Springs Clayton Homes factory. Throughout the years Larry’s creative approach to everyday life was shaped by his engineering capabilities, as he had endless ideas for projects and he could fix, design and/or build just about anything.
Larry enjoyed being an active member of the Hopkins County Genealogical Society for several years. Other activities he loved and enjoyed were hunting and working with horses. Larry’s prayer many mornings included thankfulness to God for the opportunities and challenges of a new day. He was a faithful member of the body of Christ and worshiped and served with the League Street church of Christ congregation.
A memorial service will follow at a later date.
Memorials may be made to either Ghana/Togo Missions, PO Box 69, Kilgore, TX 75662 or In Search Of The Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083
Arrangements are under the direction of Murray-Orwosky Funeral Home.
The online register can be signed at www.murrayorwosky.com
