Ottawa--Larry Thurston, 80, passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2020 at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission in Merriam, Kansas. He was born on July 1, 1940 near Lyndon, Kansas, the son of Floyd and Jessie Davis Thurston.

Larry had lived in Osage County for the first 50 years of his life and has been in Franklin County for the last 17 years.

Larry served in the U.S. Navy in the CB's from 1962 to 1964. He was a farmer and stockman; bulldozer operator; and worked in county and city government as a Public Works Director and City Manager in Eureka and Lyndon. He was involved in the local and state school board and Soil Conservation. He was a member of the Ottawa First United Methodist Church.

Larry was married to Carol Christiason on January 28, 1960 in Topeka. Carol preceded him in death on May 3, 1991. Larry married Linda Wasmund in 1992.

Larry was preceded in death by two sons, Trenton Thurston in infancy and Todd Thurston; his parents, Floyd and Jessie; a sister, Pearl Ann; a granddaughter, Hally Yust ; and a daughter-in-law, Rachel Thurston .

Larry is survived by his wife, Linda of the home; his two sons, Tom Thurston of Lyndon and Thad (Lori) Thurston of Osage City; his daughter-in-law, Diane Thurston of Overland Park; his four step children, Jenny (Shon) Yust of Spring Hill, Heidi (Ryan) Lynch of Ottawa, Stephanie (Richard) Barrett of Carmel, Indiana and Pete (Anna) Heiniger of Prescott, Wisconsin; his sister, Neva Thurston of Lyndon; eighteen grandchildren, Alex (Kalena), Beau (Mary-Lynn) and Noelle Lynch, Parker, Macy and Zoey Yust, Ethan, Alyssa and Evan Barrett, Trent and Travis Thurston; Chae and Marcus Aills and Shane Jackson, Catherine and Penelope Heiniger; and two great-grandchildren, Charlie and Bennett Lynch.

A private family memorial service will be held and streamed on Thursday, September 3 at 10:30am on the Ottawa First United Methodist Church Facebook page. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00pm on Wednesday at the Feltner Funeral Chapel in Lyndon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Larry, Carol, Jessie Thurston Scholarship Fund (for Marias des Cygnes Valley High School) or Team Hally at www.teamhally.org , sent in care of the funeral home.