Larry Pharis

Memorial services for Larry Keith Pharis, 74, Sioux Falls and formerly Aberdeen, are 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at First United Methodist Church, Pastor Eldon Reich officiating. Inurnment at Groton Union Cemetery, Groton. Larry died Monday, October 21 at Dougherty Hospice House, Sioux Falls. A time to sign the register book: 1:00-7:00 p.m., Tuesday with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home. Larry was born on June 24, 1939 in Putney SD to Henry & Evelyn (Bonde) Pharis. Larry attended Putney Grade School and graduated from Groton High school in 1957. Larry attended USD and transferred to Denver Colorado Tech. He married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Sippel in 1960. Larry owned the Red Owl grocery store in Groton, store manager Target Foods in Mpls, MN and Dallas, TX for total of 10 years until he moved his family back to Putney to farm. In 2000, Larry and Barb moved to Aberdeen, SD. In December 2012, he was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer, doctoring in both Aberdeen and Sioux Falls. In March of 2013, he purchased a Town Home in Sioux Falls. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Aberdeen. He served a number of years on township and church boards. Larry enjoyed meeting people and could talk to anyone and made many friends. He loved watching sports, fishing, hunting, golfing, snowmobiling and loved to farm . . . but most of all he loved his family. Grateful for having shared Larry's life are his wife, (Barb) of 53 years of marriage and his two sons Kip (Michelle) of Brookings, Todd (Patty) of Sioux Falls, and his twin daughters, Konni Hufford of Wichita, KS and Kristi Urban of Wichita, KS, 14 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and his brother, Harry. Larry was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers Bud and Keith, and two sisters Mary Lou and Charlotte. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but through me." John 14:6. Larry now lives with his Lord and Savior.