Published: December 04, 2007 08:07 am      

12-4 Larry Roland Stratton Sr.

Larry Roland Stratton Sr.

Larry Roland Stratton Sr., 73, (formerly of the Old Bethel Community near Canton) passed away Nov. 30, 2007, at his home in Chandler after battling a long illness.

Services were Monday, Dec. 3, at the Eubank Chapel-Canton with Chaplain Carey Ponder and the Rev. Steve Glosup officiating.

Burial was in Old Bethel Cemetery-Van Zandt County.

Pallbearers were Walter Webster, Ted James, James Ziegenhals, Jimmy White, Ted James, Ralph Parker and James Passmore.

Stratton was born Sept. 19, 1934, in Palestine to Jerry and Trudy Roberta Grooms Stratton. He was a member of the Old Bethel Baptist Church for 27 years and West Lake Baptist Church in Chandler until his death. He graduated from Haskell High School in West in 1953. He was the captain of his football team where he played tailback. He served two years in the U.S. Army, with 18 of these months serving in Korea during the Korean War.

He went two years to North Texas University while working for Braniff International Airways, Love Field, Dallas. He started as cargo personnel slowly working his way up to ticket agent, flight weights and measures, assistant manager ramp and finally the top manager of Ramp and Operations at Love Field, lasting 19 years. He operated a country store “The Mini-Mart” from 1971 to 1977 in the Old Bethel Community. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a rural route carrier out of Canton for 17 years.

Stratton is survived by wife, Joan Adell Stratton of Chandler; son, Larry Stratton Jr. and wife, Alisha, of Canton; daughters, Denise Stratton Hoch of Athens, Angela Reid and husband James of Winston Salem, N.C., Pamela Neari and husband, Philip, of Winston Salem, N.C., and Donna Ziegehals of Bay City; grandchildren, Jason Baugh and wife, April Williams of Ziegenhals, Maxwell Hoch and wife, Melissa, Regin Neari, Marie Neari, Talaina and husband, Anthony Grillett, and Alyssa Stratton; great-grandchildren Isaac Hoch, Ashley Baugh, Ryan Baugh, Kipper Grillett and Robby Grillett; and cousins Delores Easley of Oak and Janelle Kalman of California.