Lawrence J. Henckel, Sr. Obituary (1945 - 2023)

Everyone who knew Lawrence Jude Henckel Sr. "Larry" would agree that he was a kind and decent man. He loved his wife, family, friends, animals, God, and America. He passed away on September 15, 2023, at his home in Lanesville, IN, just 4 days shy of his 53rd wedding anniversary. He was surrounded by his wife, his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren. For one year he fought cancer (although some suspected deep-state involvement). The end came very quickly. Nevertheless, he held on until every single one of his children was present. He passed just minutes after his oldest son and his family arrived. After his passing, the family lowered the American flag in their yard to half-mast and sang "America the Beautiful". Larry was born on January 20, 1945, to Elizabeth and John Henckel. He was the 5th of 6 children. He grew up on a tobacco farm where he learned hard work. He was born a Catholic and died a Catholic and never missed Sunday Mass or Holy Day of Obligation even when he was on vacation. For him, the only acceptable reason to miss church was illness. When his oldest children were young and refused to wake up to go to church, he would gently toss shoes onto their beds. He upped his game with the younger children by tossing dirty wash cloths. These tactics were used only when necessary and were very effective. His children and wife can't help but laugh out loud with these memories. Drafted into the Army when he became of age, he served in the 4th Battalion 3rd Aviation Regiment. After his service he fell for the love of his life, Barbara, and they married on September 19, 1970. Larry worked at Gallagher Station, a power plant on the Ohio River, for 42 years and was a proud member of IBEW, The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. About 45 years ago, Larry and Barbara began to build their house. Barbara drew the initial design on notebook paper, and they worked together to perfect the design. Various family members helped with tasks like translating the drawing to blue-prints, digging the basement, shingling the roof, and brick laying. It would be 3 years before they could move into the house with their four small children. They moved in before they had running water or kitchen cabinets, but it seemed like a luxury resort at the time. After some years two more children arrived and so Larry and Barbara raised all 6 children in their 1.25-bathroom house. Miraculously everyone made it to adulthood. Larry mastered retirement. Once he retired he was able to finally focus on his favorite hobbies- building and re-building the many structures on their property, visiting his children, and, of course visiting his children to help them with their home projects. With the purchase of his own concrete mixer his building projects quickly multiplied. He liked building sheds, roofs, and decks even built sheds with roofs over decks. He loved tools and equipment of all sorts, but the Sawzall was by far his favorite power tool. His craftsmanship was excellent but was somehow dramatically improved when Barbara was looking over his shoulder and sharing her strong opinions. As he traveled visiting or vacationing with his children, he liked to pick up souvenir coffee cups and t-shirts. He was particularly fond of items depicting the American Flag, bald eagles and wolves and it was a bonus if a t-shirt or mug depicted all three. A speed reader who loved books, he read around 100 paperbacks in the last year and he would be proud of the length of his obituary. He also loved crossword puzzles and could hardly wait for the mail to arrive everyday so he could fetch the newspaper with his puzzle. Larry and Barbara planted a garden together every year. In the summers he insisted on planting in groups of 100. 100 tomato plants. 100 sweet potato plants. 100 okra plants, 100 green bean plants. Whatever he planted there had to be 100. According to him there must be both a goal and a limit. This may have sometimes presented Barbara with a bit more vegetables than she wanted to can, but they never needed to wish they had planted more. Larry was an avid walker. He would take walks day and night- in the woods, on the road, and even occasionally knowingly trespassing. His last major hike, just over a year ago, was three miles long on a challenging mountain trail in Steamboat, CO, keeping pace with his children. One of his last requests was to be on a trail. Some of his favorite hikes were in Acadia National Park, ME; Sedona, AZ; Yosemite National Park, CA; Laguna Beach, CA; and Olympic National Park, WA. He LOVED fires, and he passed his love of bonfires on to all his children and grandchildren. He liked small fires, but he really loved BIG FIRES. He even heated their home with fire. He always had an excuse to put off replacing the 40-year-old wood fired furnace. His family would spend winter holidays with the windows open because he always kept the furnace blazing. No matter the time of year, somehow the house always felt like 90 degrees. He loved his wife so much that, upon learning he had cancer, he had the furnace replaced. He didn't want it to be a burden in case he didn't make it. A supporter of the National Rifle Association, Donald J. Trump, and any pro-life charity that could get their hands on his address. He was extremely proud that all his children graduated from college even though he believed their time at university turned all his kids into liberals. He was the type of person who loved guns but wouldn't go hunting because he hated killing animals. He was deeply loved and leaves behind his wife Barbara Ann Henckel (nee Schneider); his children Lawrence Henckel Jr., and his wife Laura, Elizabeth Roberts and her husband Paul Roberts, Amy Henckel and her husband Roger Knipp, Dorothy Henckel and her husband David Yosha, Andrew Henckel and his wife Melissa, Danielle Henckel and her husband Shane Smith; his grandchildren Jacob Roberts, Gabrielle Henckel, and her husband DiJon DuPree, Lawrence "Tre" Henckel III, Peter Henckel, Samuel Roberts, Benjamin Henckel, Shannon Henckel, and Inara Henckel; sisters Elizabeth "Betts" Thomas, Janet Dobbins, Martha Jennings and her husband James Jennings; countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws; and two barn cats named My Shadow and Your Shadow. He is preceded in death by his parents Elizabeth Mary (nee Litch) and John Anthony Henckel; his sister Gertrude Schmelz and brother Robert Henckel. If anyone goes to heaven, it is Lawrence Jude Henckel Sr. We imagine he is sitting around a fire, next to a trail, possibly drinking a cold IPA. He was hoping to meet Rush Limbaugh up there, but his children are skeptical. We imagine he is looking over his family, reunited with the friends and family that passed before him. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 AM, Thursday, September 21, 2023 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lanesville. Visitation will be 2-8 PM Wednesday and 9-10:30 AM Thursday at Gehlbach & Royse Funeral Home in Corydon. Father Kyle Rodden will be the celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.