Reverend Larry Gordon Crumpton, 81, was freed from his failing earthly body the morning of Tuesday July 16, 2019, after years of struggling with stroke related aphasia compounded by dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. A visitation will be held from 6 – 8 PM on Friday July 26, 2019, at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home in Midland, Texas. Services will be at 10:00 AM on Saturday July 27, 2019, at St. Luke’s UMC, 3011 W Kansas Ave, Midland, Texas. Interment will follow at Serenity Memorial Gardens. Larry was born on December 17, 1937 in Jacksboro, Texas, to O. G. “Jack” Crumpton and F. Catherine Derrick Crumpton. He was the eldest of five children, with 1 sister and 3 brothers. He had fond memories of growing up and told tales of various antics with family and friends. He was very proud to have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He married Anita Carol Evans on October 14, 1956. She was the love of his life and his partner in work and play and prayer. Together they raised their three children: Larry Glenn, Evan Lee and Cheryl Anne. Always fun-loving and social, Larry enjoyed various activities through the years, often with his bride, including square dancing, bowling, golf, tennis, and he was the pitcher for his slow pitch softball team for several years. His job with Shell Oil Company took them all over Texas and even to Michigan. They later moved to Midland where he continued work in the oil industry with other companies. He and Carol even ran their own operating company until they answered the call to full time ministry. This meant several years of summer school at Perkins School of Theology while simultaneously serving full time as pastors for various churches in the Northwest Texas Conference. Next came graduation and then Larry, alongside his bride, was ordained as a Deacon in the United Methodist Church. He served as a full time pastor for 15 years before retiring to spend more time with his family. They enjoyed traveling in their RV, sometimes with family, often to visit family. One of Larry’s biggest adventures was a mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya in September 2007. He was excited and committed to the mission and after much prayer Carol also signed on to the trip. The mission activities, a safari excursion and the experiences of a shared faith with people of a different culture and language made it the trip of a lifetime. Just a few months later a tragic accident took his beautiful bride and left Larry with many new challenges, through which he bravely fought the good fight. He continued to be a loving Dad and Grandpa and maintained his sense of humor to the very end. Larry was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 51 years Carol Evans Crumpton, his son Larry Glenn Crumpton and two brothers: Michael Welzie Crumpton and Jackie Dee Crumpton. He is survived by his son Evan Lee Crumpton and fiancé Michelle Wilks of Live Oak, Texas; his daughter Cheryl Anne Brown and husband Greg of Sugar Land; daughter-in-love Mary Ann Crumpton of Bulverde; his sister Linda Coats of Holliday and his brother Jimmie Crumpton of Sweetwater, Tennessee; seven grandchildren: Leighton and Joshua Crumpton of San Antonio; Christina Silvas, Anita McKay, Jacob Crumpton all of Odessa; Natalie and Vanessa Brown of New York City; fifteen great-grandchildren and counting; and a multitude of nieces and nephews and other beloved extended family. The family would like to express their gratitude towards all of the staff at Autumn Leaves Stone Oak and Autumn Leaves Riverstone as well as Acura Hospice Care for their care of Larry over the past two and a half years. Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association: act.alz.org/donateor to a United Methodist Church Ministry at http://www.umcgiving.org/give-now Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home and Crematory of Midland, Texas. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.,
