We all lost a very good father, partner, brother, and friend on July 17, 2025. He fought a very courageous battle against the devil cancer.

Larry was born on October 19, 1942, in Hardin, Montana to Reuben and Clara Muhlbeier. He attended Hardin Schools and graduated from Hardin High School. Shortly after graduation, he proudly enlisted in the United States Navy and served 4 years. In the meantime, his mother and father relocated to Othello, Washington to continue farming there. Upon his discharge, he came to live in Othello. He immediately took a job with Washington Water Power. He made many friends while there, often attending social gatherings at The Brunswick. Larry told me in his final days that he absolutely hated that job and dreaded going to work, but being the man he was, he went every day because he had met Earla Jean Cooper, married, and was raising a son, Scott.

He'd finally had enough and asked his father if he could help him get a start in farming. Somehow, they were able to rent some ground outside Othello and get a sugar beet contract with U&I Sugar. The early years were tough, growing beets in rocks is quite a challenge but somehow, Larry was able to pull it off. His dad bought a farm in Block 20 and Larry and his brother Don were able to find a place to farm on their own near Mesa. They were quite successful at this endeavor but eventually, the tide turned with no more sugar beets (cash crop) to rely on and a lot pf government intervention in agriculture. It became the end of Farmer Larry.

Being the man he is, he took a job selling commercial and agriculture real estate for Sun Basin Realty in Othello, the Spencer Kinney in Richland. He did reasonably well at this but didn't like the "dog eat dog" attitude you needed to survive in that market. That was the end of Realtor Larry.

He then took a part time/full time job driving trucks hauling fruit for Chet Bauermeister. Come to find out, he had a natural ability for this. As time progressed, Gale Easterday approached him about driving for Easterday Farms hauling cattle. He absolutely loved doing this and did it until he retired. He said they always gave him good equipment to operate and paid him a fair wage. Most of the time, they were flexible with him to give him enough time off on weekends and such to pursue his true passion, TEAM ROPING.

Larry tried to attend almost every Jackpot roping there was around and became very good at it. He was a very sought after header in the roping circle. For a time, he spent winters in Salome, Arizona, of course, roping and making many new friends and reuniting with old ones.

My god, the stories he had to tell, and the good times he had were endless. Mostly included Harvey and his boys, Mike, Kent, and lots more. Until one fateful night when he was with his boys, he was thrown and severely fractured his neck. He spent 3 weeks in Harborview, then another 4 months in a halo at home to heal. He was well on his way to recovery then, another setback, he suffered a heart attack and was put under the knife for a triple bypass. Again, this man bounced back and was back roping. Then, he was mounting a new horse he was considering buying, it got spooked and somehow, he broke his collar bone. Again, just a minor setback BUT, he decided that his roping days were through. He said it was one of the hardest things he had to do but needed to do so that was the end of Team Roper Larry.

Larry, not being one to lay idle, was approached by Rod Rottinghus about driving tractors for him. Larry made it clear that he was only going to rake, but of course, he would do what he was asked to do. He was always on time and never went home until the job was done. This is how he lived his life right until the end.

Larry passed away in Pasco on July 17, 2025 after spending almost a month in Deaconess Hospital in Spokane fighting a very aggressive form of cancer. Larry was preceded in death by his mother, Clara and father, Reuben. He is survived by his friend, partner, and often partner-in-crime Bonnie, his son Scott (Sara), brothers Dennis, Donald (Kathy), Chuck (Joy), Greg (Stephanie), Tom (Becki), and Jerry (Nita), and many, many cousins, nephews, and of course, friends, that meant the world to him.

Please join us to celebrate Larry and share stories, on August 9, 2025, at 1:00PM at the Pasco Moose Lodge, 2617 W Sylvester St. Pasco, WA.