Larry J. Vavra, 73, of Kimball, died at Sunset Manor in Brush, Colorado on Friday, October 8, 2010.  Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball with pastor Lynda Parson officiating.  Burial was in the Kimball Cemetery.  Friends were able to call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 1:00 until 6:00 p.m.  Memorials may be given to the Kimball Arboretum.  The services for Larry have been entrusted to the Cantrell Funeral Home.

Larry James Vavra was born in Bushnell, NE on August 5, 1937, the son of James and Helen (Herman) Vavra.  He attended the Sunshine Valley Elementary school and then the Kimball County High School and graduated in 1955.  He attended Hiram Scott College in Scottsbluff for 1 year.

Larry was married to Susie (Jackson) Fornstrom in 1959.  He moved to South Dakota and worked for Boeing.

Larry then returned to Kimball and worked for Halliburton and later Z & S Construction.  He was married to Toni (McEntire) Newton in Sidney in 1969.  He was an excellent heavy equipment operator and worked for Howard Lukassen building terraces and dams around the county, he also helped in the construction of Interstate 80.  He loved working on the farm and planted hundreds of trees on his farm west of Kimball.  Larry enjoyed bird watching and loved animals, especially his dogs Herbie, Buddy and Sparky.

Survivors include his sons Terry (Shelly) Lang of Vernal, UT and Doug (Karen) Lang of Dickinson, ND; sisters Irene (Leland) Nelson of Bushnell, NE and Ioan Childers of Sidney, NE; grandchildren Derick ( Lacy) Lang. Zach Lang and Brandon, Lindsay and Macensie Lang.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his wives a daughter Sandra Kay and sister Betty Robinson.