Hard Years

My uncle, Larry Byer was a Korean War veteran. When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, Uncle Larry knew that the next few years would quickly become some of the hardest years of his life. He went into the Army as a private. He came from a very close-knit family, and they always preferred to live in the same town, Casper, Wyoming. He had one younger brother, and seven sisters, so he was the only one to serve in the Korean War. It was a hard time for the whole family, but especially for his mom, Grandma Hattie Byer, who hated to go to bed before all of her children were home. Uncle Larry survived the Korean War, of course, and came home to marry his sweetheart, Jeanette Morton. Together they had two children, Larry Byer and Tina Grosvenor. They were also blessed with six grandchildren and a number of great grandchildren.

Uncle Larry worked for Texaco Refinery, and when they closed the Casper refinery, he was not quite old enough to retire, so he and Aunt Jeanette moved to Louisiana for work, he and Aunt Jeanette brought his mom down for a visit and showed her a wonderful time. It is improbable that Grandma would have traveled to Louisiana if Uncle Larry had not lived there, making the trip and extra benefit for her, but the cost was that her son would live far away for several years. I know that Grandma was ok with it, because it was important for his retirement, but I also know she hated it for herself too.

Nevertheless, after a few years, Uncle Larry and Aunt Jeanette moved back to the Casper area, actually to Glenrock. Unfortunately, by then, Grandma was gone to Heaven. Still, they came home and spent their retirement years her, and we were all glad to have them back. Uncle Larry left us on December 22, 2011, following a heart attack while in the hospital. We were so saddened to have him go, but I’m sure that he was happy to see the family that had gone before him. Today would have been Uncle Larry’s 91st birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Larry. We love and miss you very much.