Larry H. Dvorak, 66, formerly of Dickinson, had a hard struggle with cancer and on December 30, 2014 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital Larry left his life here and entered his new life with Our Lord. Larry’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Dickinson, with Fr. Chris Kadrmas as the celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Wenceslaus Cemetery. Visitation will be on Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a rosary & vigil at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to services on Tuesday.
Larry H. Dvorak was born on April 21, 1948 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Dickinson. Larry was the second son born to Dorothy F. [Kadrmas] and Henry S. Dvorak. He lived with the family on the farm 22 miles north of Dickinson along Highway 22 until the age of 16. He went to country school grades 1 through 8. After graduating from the 8th grade he then attended Killdeer High School until the age of 16.
Larry’s life on the family farm was filled with “many adventures”. He loved the farm animals and they enjoyed the care he gave them. Especially the baby calves that needed to be feed by bottle. The family dogs also enjoyed the companionship Larry shared with them. Always treating them as if they were his “best bud”. The most unusual pet he shared with the family was Elmer…a Horned Owl. At the time of his last year in grade school….Larry had an accident while doing chores with his sister Karen. He was cleaning the cobs of corn from the silage off his pitch fork when he turned his head “into the point of the pitch fork”. This injury left him legally blind in his right eye.
Because of many struggles and the need to be “noticed and loved” by his father…along with the struggle to “fit into a new life with limited vision”…..at the age of 16 Larry’s dad made arrangements for him to leave home. Larry then went to Bismarck to attend a body repair school. After completion of the school he then went to work at a body repair shop in Mandan. This lasted until he turned 18 at which time he wanted to enter the military. He applied then left to get his physical and at that time he was rejected because of the degree of his eye injury. Larry then went back to the family farm to join his dad and brothers in farming.
He met and married Irene M. Bren on August 10, 1970 in New Hradec. To this union Larry and Irene were blessed with six children; Mitchell, Lori, Aaron, Andrea, Kelsey and Christopher. Throughout his life Larry lived in North Dakota, Montana, Utah, and South Dakota where he enjoyed the beauty of the Black Hills. Throughout this adventure he touched many lives from all ages in life. His greatest love was for those who were “down on their luck” in life. He helped them whenever he could with a place to stay….food to eat…..but most of all “His jokes and laughter”. As difficult as Larry’s life was at times…he never saw his life as a “half empty glass”. It was always that it’s tough now…but tomorrow things will be a bit better. And that is what he would share with those around him. He adopted many young people in his life trying to give them a direction and purpose. But the ones who touched him the most were the children….there are many out there who he adopted and shared the “treasures of his gift of giving”.
Larry is survived by his children Mitchell, Aaron, Andrea, Kelsey (Tom) and Christopher; three granddaughters; sisters, Karen (Mike) Roller, Susan (Bruce) Nord; brothers Hank and Marnee (Cherrie); several nieces and nephews; and special friends Sarah and Justin Drake and their children Landy and Logan. Larry is preceded in death by his daughter Lori; his parents; and one brother, Delvern.
