Larry Eugene Brown, age 83, of Courtland, Kansas, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2026, at Brodstone Memorial Hospital in Superior, Nebraska, and is now with the Lord in Heaven.
Larry was born on November 1, 1942, in Belleville, Kansas. As a young boy, he was a member of the Methodist Church in Scandia, Kansas. He was baptized on April 15, 1962, at Central Christian Church in Belleville, Kansas.
On May 6, 1962, he was united in marriage to Joan Afton Stephenson at Central Christian Church in Belleville, Kansas. Together they shared 64 years of marriage.
To this union, two children were born: Sharlot (Richard) Ahrens of Olathe, Kansas, and Steven Brown of Courtland, Kansas.
Larry is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Joan Brown, and his two children.
Among those left to cherish his memory are four grandchildren: Alexander "Alex" (Jordan) Brown of Concordia, Kansas; Cassandra (Evan) Advokat of Overland Park, Kansas; Kelsey (Ernest "Ernie") Lindberg-McKinley of Courtland, Kansas; and Aaron (Celsie) Ahrens of Gardner, Kansas.
Also left to cherish his memory are nine great-grandchildren: Ryan and Alyssa Brown; Elijah and Josiah Advokat; Richard "Weston" and Steven "Wylder" Lindberg; Analya McKinley; and Elliott "Lottie" and Murphy Ahrens.
He is also survived by his sister, Shirley Phelps of Brighton, Colorado
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Pauline (Weir) Brown; his parents-in-law, Orval and Twilla (Murphy) Stephenson; his sister-in-law, Sharon Flower; and his brothers-in-law, John Flower and Chuck Phelps.
As a young boy, Larry's Uncle Tom Weir took him under his wing, introducing him to coon hunting and fishing along the Republican River. Those early experiences blossomed into a lifelong love of hunting and the outdoors.
Larry loved God, family, and farming. Shortly after his marriage, he moved north of Scandia and lived at the bottom of Sherdahl Hill. He later rented land from Bertha Grandstedt before moving his family to the Frankhamp farm on the west side of the river in March 1976. It was his dream to someday own that land and raise his family there.
He will be remembered by his wife, family, other relatives and many friends.
Larry was proud of his Swedish heritage and enjoyed traditional foods such as lutefisk, lingonberries, and ostakaka.
In the 1950s, Larry and his father were among the first irrigators in the area. He often recalled the days of open ditches and tubes. He also worked on construction crews building towers and welded during the construction of Lovewell Dam. He did local custom harvesting and local silage chopping for many area farmers. Yet Larry considered being a steward of God's land his true occupation.
Larry served on several committees, including the Republic Fire Department and the Republic County Farm Bureau Board. He was a faithful member of Central Christian Church, where he served as a deacon for many years.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, Thursday, August 27, 2026 at the Central Christian Church with Pastor Seth Follmer and Pastor Dwight Garman, officiating.
Interment will follow at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, rural Courtland, Kansas.
Visitation and viewing will be from 1 PM until 7 PM, Wednesday, August 26th at the Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Belleville, KS. The family will not be present at the visitation.
Memorials are suggested to the Central Christian Church or St. Jude Children Research Hospital.
Online condolences at www.bachelor-surber.com
Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Belleville, Kansas is assisting the family with the arrangements.