Individual Details

Burial

Russell Glenn Larson, 84, of Amarillo died Friday, June 12, 2004. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors Memorial Chapel, Fifth Avenue and Pierce Street, with Philip Lester, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Mr. Larson was born May 29, 1920, in Watertown, S.D., the oldest of four children to Richard and Lilly Larson. Richard Larson was a banker and after the stock market crash of 1929, the family moved to Deadwood, S.D. Richard opened a radiator shop in Deadwood and Russell grew up around automobiles. Russell quit his job as a mechanic at a Buick dealership in Deadwood and enlisted in the Army Air Corps on Jan. 1, 1942. He served as an electrical systems instructor, a crew chief on a B-17 and flew the "Hump" in the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II. While stationed in Amarillo, he met Mildred King and they were married on March 1, 1943. Russell and Mille's union in marriage produced two sons, Marcus, in April 1944 and Glenn in July 1948. After the war, they moved to Deadwood and Russell opened a Packard dealership. Due to a shortage of new cars, Russell and Mille moved back to Amarillo in 1947. Russell was heavily involved in auto racing and worked as a mechanic at various car dealerships in Amarillo in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1955, he went into sales at Plains Chevrolet and later managed the used car department at Hedgecoke Dodge. Mr. Larson opened Larson Motor Co. in the late 1960s and was joined in the business by his son Glenn in 1978. After his retirement from Larson Motor Co. in 1985, Russell stayed busy restoring classic cars and building street rods. Russell was a life member of VFW, Disabled American Veterans and The Antique Automobile Club of America. Russell was well known for his distinctive manner of speech and his extensive knowledge of automobiles. He was preceded in death by a brother; two sisters; a son, Marcus in 2000; and his wife in 2004. Survivors include a son, Col. Glenn Larson and wife, Linda Kay, of Amarillo; a daughter-in-law, Jeaneen Larson of El Paso; six grandchildren, Mychele George and husband, Phillip, and Brandi Clark and husband, Bill, all of Canyon, Dennis Larson of Phoenix, and Donnie Larson, Jamie Tomberlin and husband, Kris, and Brad Haley and wife, Rene, all of Amarillo; 11 great-grandchildren; and a nephew, Barry King of Dallas. Visitation will be at the family home, 4709 Mesa Circle.
Amarillo Globe-News, Amarill, Texas, June 15, 2004)