Larry Milner Kennedy
Murphy Funeral Home
Martin, Tennessee
Larry Milner Kennedy died Tuesday, October 6, 1981, at Volunteer Hospital in Martin, Tennessee. He was a retired carpenter and mechanic and highly respected by his friends and family.
Larry was born June 5, 1912, and raised in the Stella Ruth Community just outside Martin. He grew up with five brothers and sisters, with one of the brothers dying very young. Since Larry was not a common name at the time of his birth, he was named for T. B. Larimore, a long-time Church of Christ preacher. His parents were farmers who raised dairy cattle and corn. He attended elementary school at Stella Ruth, graduated MHS in 1930, and the UT Junior College in Martin. He was a pretty good basketball player.
His sister Frances always said that he never dated a girl he didn’t want to marry. That must have been true because he married his wife Porter the same day she graduated from Martin High School in 1936 (he was 6 years older).
He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), mainly planting trees. Early in their marriage, they sold the first electric milking machines in Weakley County, and he also had a part in the local John Deere dealership. Though they had purchased a 52-acre piece of land just outside the Martin city limits, they never did much true farming. They mainly just raised Herford (white faced) cattle. He also ran a repair shop in the back of Elmer Thedford’s gas station, working mainly on John Deere tractors.
When his oldest child entered first grade, they began building a new house directly in front of the one in which they had been living. They did nearly all the work themselves and moved at the end of that school year. The total cost for the house was under $10,000. He did such a good job building the house that he was asked to join a local construction company owned by Joe Monroe and Charles Redmon. He closed his repair shop and worked as a carpenter until he retired.
Larry was always available to help anyone with about any project. He was constantly fixing things for people. He served as an elder at the Bethel Church of Christ for many years and was a great Bible teacher. He was so quiet in his manner that you could put him in a room with another quiet person and they would sit for an hour and never say anything.
Larry is survived by his wife Porter Brooks Kennedy; his children Brooks Kennedy and wife Jonceal of Fort Worth; his daughter LaRee Brewer and husband Steve of Martin; four grandchildren, Darin and Derek Kennedy of Fort Worth and Brad and Andy Brewer of Martin, his sister Frances Kennedy of Martin, and a large host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents John and Ruth Kennedy, his brothers Kemp Kennedy, John Add Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy, and his sister Dathol Downs.
The service for Larry Kennedy will be Friday, October 9, 1981, at Murphy Funeral Home in Martin. The burial is at East Side Cemetery in Martin.
Larry was born June 5, 1912, and raised in the Stella Ruth Community just outside Martin. He grew up with five brothers and sisters, with one of the brothers dying very young. Since Larry was not a common name at the time of his birth, he was named for T. B. Larimore, a long-time Church of Christ preacher. His parents were farmers who raised dairy cattle and corn. He attended elementary school at Stella Ruth, graduated MHS in 1930, and the UT Junior College in Martin. He was a pretty good basketball player.
His sister Frances always said that he never dated a girl he didn’t want to marry. That must have been true because he married his wife Porter the same day she graduated from Martin High School in 1936 (he was 6 years older).
He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), mainly planting trees. Early in their marriage, they sold the first electric milking machines in Weakley County, and he also had a part in the local John Deere dealership. Though they had purchased a 52-acre piece of land just outside the Martin city limits, they never did much true farming. They mainly just raised Herford (white faced) cattle. He also ran a repair shop in the back of Elmer Thedford’s gas station, working mainly on John Deere tractors.
When his oldest child entered first grade, they began building a new house directly in front of the one in which they had been living. They did nearly all the work themselves and moved at the end of that school year. The total cost for the house was under $10,000. He did such a good job building the house that he was asked to join a local construction company owned by Joe Monroe and Charles Redmon. He closed his repair shop and worked as a carpenter until he retired.
Larry was always available to help anyone with about any project. He was constantly fixing things for people. He served as an elder at the Bethel Church of Christ for many years and was a great Bible teacher. He was so quiet in his manner that you could put him in a room with another quiet person and they would sit for an hour and never say anything.
Larry is survived by his wife Porter Brooks Kennedy; his children Brooks Kennedy and wife Jonceal of Fort Worth; his daughter LaRee Brewer and husband Steve of Martin; four grandchildren, Darin and Derek Kennedy of Fort Worth and Brad and Andy Brewer of Martin, his sister Frances Kennedy of Martin, and a large host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents John and Ruth Kennedy, his brothers Kemp Kennedy, John Add Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy, and his sister Dathol Downs.
The service for Larry Kennedy will be Friday, October 9, 1981, at Murphy Funeral Home in Martin. The burial is at East Side Cemetery in Martin.