Obituary: Larry Lloyd England
Larry Lloyd England was born July 2nd, 1941, in Ringgold County, Iowa to Lloyd Courtney and Evelyn Belle (Smith) England. Larry departed this life on November 14, 2025, at the Clearview Nursing Home after a long, hard-fought battle against Parkinson’s Disease.
Larry, the second youngest in his family, was welcomed home by siblings Robert, Doris, Jim, Myrna, and later by younger brother Bill on the family farm near Tingley, Iowa. After attending school in Tingley and graduating in 1959, he worked at various jobs like delivering Feed & Grain for the Tingley Elevator and Kenny Kiburz, working on seeding the road ditches in Nebraska. He then met Joyce Dukes at the Tingley Café after she had finished her shift. She was trying to convince neighbor Elton Werner to give her a ride to Diagonal to watch a softball game, and Larry was “persuaded” by Joyce to give her a ride. From that day on she was the love of his life.
Larry and Joyce were married on November 12,1961 in Diagonal, Iowa. From their union came Larry Michael, Mitchell Paul and Mark Edward. Initially, after their marriage, Larry worked the night shift for Wellman’s and Purolator factories in Creston and then farmed during the day before settling into a lifelong full-time job of farming with the help of his father and mother-in-law, Paul and Veneta Dukes. Eventually he turned over the farming operation to his boys that he loved so much and wanted them to continue his legacy of farming.
In his passing, Larry rejoins his beloved parents Lloyd and Evelyn; in-laws Paull and Veneta Dukes; along with his siblings Jim, Bill, Robert and his wife Lois, Doris and her husband Curtis; brother-in-law Philip Dukes and niece Sharene England Culp.
He is survived by his wife Joyce and their children, Mike and Diane England of Urbandale, Mitch and Melinda England of Diagonal and Mark and Andrea England of Johnston; grandchildren Tanner England, Jeremy and Jennifer England, Jacy and Edgar Nunez, Karlee and Bud Sweeney, Ryan and Sierra England, Brett and Samantha England, Weston England, Lauren and Leighton Tanke, Brody England; great grandchildren Tucker, Sawyer and Rex England, Opal, Gwen, and Wayne England, Louis Nunez, Blaire England and Willow and Baby Sweeney due in March 2026; sister Myrna and brother-in-law Steve Spurlock; sisters-in-laws Caryl Dukes and Marian Jennings; as well as many nephews, nieces and extended family and along with host of friends.
Larry’s life was a testament to the quiet joys of rural living, and the simple pleasures found in tending the land and being part of the Diagonal Community of which he and Joyce were blessed to have attended many sporting events of their boys and grandchildren. He was an avid Iowa State fan and enjoyed several trips to the Big 12 Basketball tournament in Kansas City. Another passion of his was attending the annual Diagonal Labor Day celebration to take part in the tractor and truck pulls while visiting with his lifelong friends from the community and surrounding areas. Services were held at 10:30 am Monday, November 17, 2025, at the United Church of Diagonal.Casketbearers were Tanner England, Jeremy England, Ryan England, Brett England, Weston England, Brody England. Honorary Pallbearers were Jacy and Ed Nunez, Karlee and Bud Sweeney, Lauren England, Leighton Tanke, Jennifer England, Sierra England, Samantha England, Claire Newton, Jack McConnell, Rick Farrell, Jerry Haley, Jim Werner. Burial followed in the Diagonal Cemetery. Memorials are for Tingley Community Building, Diagonal D-Club, and Diagonal Development Corporation. Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr was in charge of the arrangements.
