Lawrence "Larry" Harms

Lawrence "Larry" Harms, 89, of the Warsaw and Lincoln, Missouri area, passed away peacefully Monday, September 8, 2025, at Heritage House in Atlantic, Iowa. Larry is the late husband of Griswold/Atlantic native Donna (Blakely) Cook daughter of Otis and Elinor (Johnson) Blakely.

Lawrence Oliver was the sixth child to bless George Chris and Willie Marie (Gardner) Harms on a farm near Lincoln, Missouri on March 30, 1936. His mother passed away when he was four years of age so his dad took on both parenting roles. As a child he walked Sundays to Black Oak Country Church. He attended Dillon Country and Lincoln schools before enlisting in the United States Army in 1955. Larry received his basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and served in Korea receiving an honorable discharge in 1958. In 2016, he was grateful to be selected to join other veterans to fly to Washington D.C. on the Honor Flight of the Ozarks.

He worked at various jobs including driving semi-truck, on the assembly line at Ford Motors in Kansas City, and as a telephone lineman until deciding to attend Mechanic School in Chicago. After graduation, he started Lawrence Harms Auto Sales, south of Lincoln, MO, where he worked until his retirement. He enjoyed working on cars and collecting older model vehicles.

His love of music started at a young age as he loved to go to his Grandma Gardner’s house because she had a radio and he would listen to country music for hours. He was a self-taught musician and at age 14, Henry Roberts and Joe Nowland would pick him up to play and sing in their band. Not only did he play acoustic guitar, but took up the fiddle and played for square dances. His popularity grew and in addition to playing for dances throughout central Missouri he had a radio show in Clinton, MO, and played at the Missouri State Fair, Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry, Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO, and many music festivals where he was known as the singer who knew over 1000 songs never using a song book. In 2002, his dedication to his music paid off when he was inducted into America’s Old Time Music Hall of Fame. Some of the songs he wrote and recorded on records, cassettes or CD's were “Search for Me,” “Town Alive on 65,” (about his home town of Lincoln, MO) and “Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow,” which made #10 on Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. During his time on the road, he collected over 120 musical instruments, some by buying and trading cars or trading cash.

On September 3, 1994, he waltzed down the aisle with his bride to be Donna (Blakely) Cook at the music festival in Avoca, Iowa. It was the perfect place since it was the same building he had asked her to dance exactly 5 years prior.

He enjoyed entertaining others when he would play for all the residents at local care centers and take them his homemade fudge. Lawrence also made a mean chocolate pie. He enjoyed day trips to Branson, watching the boats come into Drake Harbor in Warsaw, eating lunch at the Warsaw Senior Center and Hilltop BBQ in Warsaw where they prepared a root beer float for him when he walked in.

He was a member of Abundant Life Church and the American Legion both in Cole Camp, MO.

Lawrence never knew a stranger. He talked to anyone he could to make them laugh or to cheer them up. If someone came to the car lot in need, he would always lend them a helping hand if he could. In 2002, they purchased their home on 7 acres north of Lincoln until recently moving to Southwest Iowa to be closer to family.

Lawrence is survived by his wife, Donna Harms of Griswold, IA; son, Mitchell (Kelly) Harms of Cole Camp, MO; six grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; step-children, Donald (Angie) Cook II of Atlantic, IA, Dick Cook of Atlantic, IA and Danette (Paul) Van Hofwegen of Las Vegas, NV; step-grandchildren, Michaela (JR) Mayberry of Omaha, NE, Matt Cook of Atlantic, Dalton (Jordan) Cook of Atlantic, IA, Derek (Kennedy) Cook of Atlantic, IA and Mariah (Trenton) Stoll of Stanberry, MO; 12 step-greatgrandchildren; Donna’s siblings, Duane (Judy) Blakely of Council Bluffs, IA, Janet Watson-Weideman of Griswold, IA and Emily (Bob) Jobe of Lewis, Iowa; and many extended family and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Willie Harms; son, Troy Stephen Harms; grandson, John Thomas Harms; step-grandson, Jared Cook; his siblings, Denver (Loretta), Edward (Viola), Mary, Edna and Winfred (Rose); and brothers-in-law, Dwight Blakely, Wayne Watson and Gary Weideman.

Visitation with the family present will be held from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Sunday, September 14th at Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 17th at the Davis – Miller Funeral Home, 119 W Main Street, Lincoln, MO. Visitation with the family present will be held prior to the service at the funeral home starting at 1:30 p.m.

Burial, with military honors by the Cole Camp American Legion Post #305, will be in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Lincoln, Missouri. Following the services at the cemetery a luncheon will be held at the Lincoln City Hall, 122 East Main Street, Lincoln, MO.

Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation to Wounded Warriors.

Roland Funeral Service and Reser & Davis – Miller Funeral Home are caring for Lawrence’s family and his arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.