Ross Dee Larcom, 88, was called to the Lord July 29, 2021 at Dawson
Place in Hill City, Kansas. His life began April 6, 1933, in McPherson,
Kansas as the oldest child of Walter and Wannetta (Osborne) Larcom.
Shortly after, his family moved to Augusta, Kansas where they raised
Ross and his sister Twyla. Ross graduated from Augusta High School and
continued to call all his classmates several times a year and required
class reunions on a regular basis.
At age eight, he worked until he could buy his first calf which
came on a train in a crate. He hauled it home on his lap. Through his
school years, Ross continued to buy cattle, Brown Swiss being his first
love, and even an occasional horse. One of his favorite stories to tell
was riding his horse, Pet, to school and in the school, up the stairs to
his classroom. Although he had the occasional ornery story, his
classmates loved and appreciated him. Some of his jobs growing up were
plowing fields with a horse and plow, working at Firestone and the
Mobile Oil Farm, which was not the type of farm Ross dreamed of.
Once Ross graduated, he entered the United States Army as a Private
First Class for two years and then in the Reserves for an additional
eight years. He was an artillery surveyor, learned Morse Code, and
bumped into Elvis once or twice.
Following his Army discharge, he went to work for Mobile Oil
(Socony Oil) and was stationed in Hill City, Kansas where he met his
wife Carol Goodrow, June 23, 1955. Ross then went to work for Boeing in
Wichita, so a long-distance relationship ensued. Exactly one year later
June 23, 1956, the good-looking couple married and created quite the
family tree with four daughters, 14 grandchildren, 26 great
grandchildren, one bull, 12 cows and 12 handsome calves.
Ross and Carol lived in Augusta for a few years until they moved to
San Antonio, Texas where Ross went to work at Boeing for the next 19
years as a Technical Representative working at the Lackland Air Force
Base. The family regularly camped on the coast (Rockport, Texas) and
enjoyed fishing and swimming. They raised their daughters who were
involved in various activities and athletics.
After retiring from Boeing, the couple brought their family back to
Morland where Ross worked various jobs including custom wheat
harvesting with his father-in-law, Carl Goodrow, hauling hogs for the
Goodrow brothers until he purchased a farm in Lenora and returned to his
love of owning cattle. Really, they were his pride and joy and were
more like pets. If he could lift you, one might find themselves swung up
onto the back of one of his bulls. Lucky for us, they didn’t move.
The rest is what all of you know of him. He had a love for cattle,
was proud of his wife and family and was a friend to all. God gave him
five of the most powerful and determined women. He showed his truest
self by allowing each one to become the best versions of themselves.
With each generation the greatness took on another level of success and
brought great pleasure in his older years. Ross never set out to change
the world, but he raised his remarkable family that are.
If Ross was anything, he was resilient; not only for his work
ethic, but in his health also. He had a drive to provide for his family
and work hard for every dollar earned. Twenty years of heart issues kept
the doctors guessing on how he would manage to recover. As Dr. Handy
said recently, “His situation is grave, but you can never write Ross
off.” He lived twenty years past his life expectancy when he had his
first massive heart attack at age 68. He recovered again and again and
again and again. It was a common family joke that he had cashed in yet
another one of his cat lives.
Ross took the time to seek out individuals and just check in with
them. He was good at just sitting down and having a good old-fashioned
conversation. He was known for his friendly greetings and was always
good for a smile. His warm smile, bright blue eyes, and how he made them
feel, and the time he gave to everyone around him spoke volumes about
him and how everyone will remember him.
Ross leaves a legacy through each of his family members who carry
many of his same traits. He was so very proud of each of us as his
family was everything to him – his cows were a very close second. Ross
and Carol just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June. It was
a life well lived.
The Family of Ross and Carol
1. Sondra Larcom
a. Cory & Samantha Sanger
i. Trexler, Laramie, Devyn
b. Toni & Richard Vargas
i. Ellington, Everette, Gwendolyn
c .Casey & Heather Sanger
i. Caden, Averlie and Saxon
2. Charlene & Curtis Meier
a .Gordon & Carrie Larcom
i. Ryan, Briley, Aubrey
b. Shawn
i .Avie
c. Georgann & Sean Kohnle
i. Caden, Maizie, Weston
d. Britni & Patrick Curtis
i. Evolette, Elias
3. Louanne & Clayton Short
a. Taylor & Josh Matzek
i. Hunter, Kenzi, Aubri, Madison
b. Justin
c. Keith
4. Laura Larcom
a. Anissa & Marcus Pfeifer
i. Brantley, Oakley and Ascher
b. Sonia & Brian Nhira
i. Zayden
c. Alex
d .Paige
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