Doyle Lavelle Herrin

Obituary lovingly written by the family of Doyle Herrin....

Doyle Lavelle Herrin of Pineville, Missouri, passed away on October 17, 2025, just one week shy of his 92nd birthday.

He was born on October 24, 1933 in a small house south of Neosho to Charles M. Herrin and Etta (Berry) Herrin. Doyle's family was poor, with a house without electricity or running water. He was responsible for chores like cleaning the milk barn. He went barefoot all summer and attended a two-room schoolhouse in the winter. By age 15, he was working 80-hour weeks at Camp Crowder to help buy books and clothes for high school in Neosho. While there he befriended soldiers and German prisoners of war.

He went on to graduate from Neosho High School with the Class of 1951. He was vice president of the student body, played right halfback for the Wildcats football team and was a Golden Gloves boxer.

He briefly played collegiate football on scholarship before becoming a father at age 19. He worked several jobs and served in the National Guard to support his family. Later, he started and ran three successful construction companies, installing curb and gutter as well as water and sewer lines across Southwest Missouri and Eastern Kansas.

In his 50s he briefly retired, then began another business welding clever comical figurines out of railroad spikes. The figurines humorously depicted surgery, sports, weddings and many other life experiences.

Art collectors all over the United States, including Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, purchased his sculptures. After retiring from Spike Sculptures, Doyle and his wife and best friend Jerrie Herrin planted 2,300 walnut saplings on their 170-acre ranch near Pineville, Mo. They spent much of their time caring for the trees. Some of them are now more than 40 feet high. Together with Jerrie, Doyle invested heavily in staying healthy. The two faithfully worked out at the Neosho YMCA on every single weekday morning and then spent the rest of their time caring for their ranch. From the age of 60 to the age of 88, Doyle engaged in his "birthday bike ride," completing his age in miles in a single day each time.

At the age of 86, Doyle completed 104 miles on Ohio's Little Miami Trail, amazing his family and onlookers. Doyle was also an avid hiker. In their 70s and 80s, Doyle and Jerrie completed long, arduous treks on the Appalachian Trail, Glacier National Park, the Redwoods and Yosemite National Park.

Doyle loved flying. He earned his pilot's license in the 1960s and owned two planes, a Piper Super Cub and a Cessna Skylane 185. He used both planes for work and also to take his family on ski vacations to Taos and other destinations. He made an unsuccessful attempt at hang gliding and purchased but never flew an ultralight. He maintained his pilot's license and an airstrip on his property up until his death. With Jerrie's help, Doyle built the house that still sits atop the bluff on the property overlooking Big Sugar Creek.

He designed innovative technologies to heat and cool the house and to supply it with water. During the day, he would lead guests on hikes around the property and invite them to take a turn running several pieces of heavy equipment he used to maintain the ranch. At night he lit 8-foot high bonfires.

Despite all his accomplishments, Doyle remained humble and self-deprecating. He maintained a child-like wonder about the universe, nature, ancient peoples and new technological developments.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Charles Herrin and James Herrin; his sister, Geneva Sprenkle, and his first wife Marilyn Herrin.

He is survived by Jerrie, the love of his life and his devoted wife of 41 years. He is also survived by his children: Victoria Herrin of Houston, Texas; Christy Herrin Hamilton of Joplin, Missouri; Stan Herrin of Galena, Maryland; Jerrie's daughter Gyla Marr of Fredonia, Kansas, Marilyn's daughter Peggy Parolin, of Kansas City, Missouri, his grandsons Ian Dominguez, Ethan Herrin and Andrew Herrin, and his great grandson Rocco Dominguez. He will be remembered with love and awe by his family and all those who knew him.

Private Family Services will be held at a later date.

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