Larry A. Tiarks
November 6, 1963 — August 23, 2012
Larry Alan Tiarks, born Larry A. Kuehl, in Rochester, New York on November 6, 1963. Larry entered the Tiarks family as a foster child at the age of four and adopted the Tiarks name at the age of 24. Larry is the son of Adolf "Fritz" and Janice (Johnson) Tiarks.
Larry began his schooling at Gunn Elementary School in Council Bluffs, Iowa and graduated from Harlan Community Schools in Harlan, Iowa in 1982. He attended Universal College to be a Body Repair Tech and Brown College of Broadcasting in Minnesota. He began with a broadcasting career at WOW Radio in Omaha, KNOD in Harlan and established KSOM and KS/95 radio stations located in Atlantic, Iowa. He was the emcee for dance recitals at The Tiarks School of Dance, which his mother, Janice, owns in Harlan. Larry managed the Avoca Golf and Country Club and did custom artwork for Midwest Monument in Harlan and on tombstones across southwest Iowa. Larry and his wife, Lori, recently opened a new restaurant in Avoca called the Old Main Street Grille.
Larry married Lori Sue Johnson on June 1, 1996 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca. Lori is a teacher and coach at AHST Community School in Avoca. They have one daughter, Nicole Lee Tiarks who attends AHST Community School.
Along with Larry�s work careers, he and "his girls" (Lori and Nikki) loved to golf. They spent many hours on the golf course with his grandfather Cliff Johnson and many friends. Larry also participated in indoor and sand volleyball and softball. He enjoyed camping with family and friends. He built what he considered his dream home north of Avoca in 2008, where he had always planned to spend the rest of his life. He loved to sit on the deck and enjoy nature and the world with his family. During beautiful sunny days, or rain showers you could find them there. He and his girls also loved viewing lightning and snowstorms from their cathedral windows.
Larry unexpectedly entered into rest at his home on Thursday, August 23, 2012 having attained the age of forty-eight years, nine months and seventeen days. He was preceded in death by his grandparents James Clifford "Cliff" and Genevieve "Mimi" Johnson and Elva and Fred Tiarks.
He is survived by his wife Lori Tiarks and daughter Nicole Tiarks, both of Avoca, Iowa; parents Janice and Fritz Tiarks of Harlan, Iowa; brother Jay Tiarks and his wife Noel of Tomah, Wisconsin, and sisters: Jill and her husband Bill Daeges, Joy and her husband Darrin Petersen, Jackie and her husband Tom Schumacher all of Harlan and Janell and her husband Josh Williams of Denver, Colorado; nieces and nephews: Jessica, John, Jade, Jake, Jordan, Jandy, Marley, Makiah, Lisa, Helen and Jaelyn; other relatives and many friends.
Pastor Eric Meissner officiated the 10:30 am funeral service at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca, Iowa on Wednesday, August 29, 2012. Honorary casket bearers were: Jay Tiarks, Bill Daeges, Darrin Petersen, James Johnson, Josh Williams, Mike Johnson and Thomas "Zig" Schumacher. Burial was held in the Graceland Cemetery in Avoca with Bill Murtaugh, Jeff Bladt, Jason Eckermann, Scott Peak, Todd Bladt, Frank Rodriguez, Ryan Wendt and Tom Robinson serving as casket bearers.
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Larry began his schooling at Gunn Elementary School in Council Bluffs, Iowa and graduated from Harlan Community Schools in Harlan, Iowa in 1982. He attended Universal College to be a Body Repair Tech and Brown College of Broadcasting in Minnesota. He began with a broadcasting career at WOW Radio in Omaha, KNOD in Harlan and established KSOM and KS/95 radio stations located in Atlantic, Iowa. He was the emcee for dance recitals at The Tiarks School of Dance, which his mother, Janice, owns in Harlan. Larry managed the Avoca Golf and Country Club and did custom artwork for Midwest Monument in Harlan and on tombstones across southwest Iowa. Larry and his wife, Lori, recently opened a new restaurant in Avoca called the Old Main Street Grille.
Larry married Lori Sue Johnson on June 1, 1996 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca. Lori is a teacher and coach at AHST Community School in Avoca. They have one daughter, Nicole Lee Tiarks who attends AHST Community School.
Along with Larry�s work careers, he and "his girls" (Lori and Nikki) loved to golf. They spent many hours on the golf course with his grandfather Cliff Johnson and many friends. Larry also participated in indoor and sand volleyball and softball. He enjoyed camping with family and friends. He built what he considered his dream home north of Avoca in 2008, where he had always planned to spend the rest of his life. He loved to sit on the deck and enjoy nature and the world with his family. During beautiful sunny days, or rain showers you could find them there. He and his girls also loved viewing lightning and snowstorms from their cathedral windows.
Larry unexpectedly entered into rest at his home on Thursday, August 23, 2012 having attained the age of forty-eight years, nine months and seventeen days. He was preceded in death by his grandparents James Clifford "Cliff" and Genevieve "Mimi" Johnson and Elva and Fred Tiarks.
He is survived by his wife Lori Tiarks and daughter Nicole Tiarks, both of Avoca, Iowa; parents Janice and Fritz Tiarks of Harlan, Iowa; brother Jay Tiarks and his wife Noel of Tomah, Wisconsin, and sisters: Jill and her husband Bill Daeges, Joy and her husband Darrin Petersen, Jackie and her husband Tom Schumacher all of Harlan and Janell and her husband Josh Williams of Denver, Colorado; nieces and nephews: Jessica, John, Jade, Jake, Jordan, Jandy, Marley, Makiah, Lisa, Helen and Jaelyn; other relatives and many friends.
Pastor Eric Meissner officiated the 10:30 am funeral service at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca, Iowa on Wednesday, August 29, 2012. Honorary casket bearers were: Jay Tiarks, Bill Daeges, Darrin Petersen, James Johnson, Josh Williams, Mike Johnson and Thomas "Zig" Schumacher. Burial was held in the Graceland Cemetery in Avoca with Bill Murtaugh, Jeff Bladt, Jason Eckermann, Scott Peak, Todd Bladt, Frank Rodriguez, Ryan Wendt and Tom Robinson serving as casket bearers.
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