Larry Lee Daugherty, age 84, died on February 18, 2021 in North Platte, Nebraska. He was born March 1, 1936, in Beatrice, Nebraska, to Morris LaVerne and Ethel Bea (Bowker) Daugherty who died five weeks later in Kearney, Nebraska. Larry and his sister, Charmaine, were reared by Ethel Bea's aunt Ethel (Bowker) McCormack and husband, Stanley. Larry was baptized and confirmed at Grace Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1948, graduated from Kearney High School in 1954, attended Nebraska Technical School in Milford, Nebraska in the Industrial Electronics Program, joined the United States Air Force in 1957 and served 4 years regular and 2 years reserves, received an honorable discharge in 1963. At age 40 he married Joanne Esslinger, and they lived at Paxton and North Platte, NE. In 1985 he was baptized again and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Platte. Larry worked for the Union Pacific Railroad until he retired in 1996.
Larry furnished a home for "Mom" Ethel McCormack and her brother, Kenneth Bowker, before they moved and he was married. He had a passion for music and played his guitar in a hillbilly/country western band in earlier years. Larry loved his family and faithful friends and liked to reminisce about old times. He also liked eating and socializing at the Senior Center. He was a quiet man who loved the Lord. He was often seen feeding the birds.
Survivors include a daughter, Robin (Albert) Rodriguez and family of Kearney, Nebraska; sister Charmaine (Daugherty) Westphal of Humboldt, Iowa; stepson Jon Esslinger of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and several grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Morris and Ethel Bea Daugherty; great-aunt Ethel “Mom” and Stanley McCormack; grandparents James C./Mary (Ehrfeldt) Daugherty and Jesse Sherman/Sylvia Chloe (Levers) Bowker, stepbrother, David Ray; stepmothers, Verna Daugherty;and Ruth Daugherty, step-grandmother Lillie Bowker, former wife Joanne, and brother-in-law John Westphal.
Memorials are suggested to North Platte Senior Center. Online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.
A graveside service will be at the Kearney Cemetery (Bowker plot) in Kearney, Nebraska on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. with a celebration of life lunch for friends and relatives to follow at the American Legion building 1223 South Central Avenue in Kearney.