A neighbor, Del Smith, helped Larry get started in horse pulling at the age of 16.  His dad thought if he went to a horse pull and got beat that would be the end of pulling.  He was second place and the rest is history.  Larry pulled horses for over 65 years. He was well known throughout the United States and Canada for his pulling horses, winning multiple contests and making lifelong friends as he went.   In the 1970s, Larry got his hands on 1 of 10 dynamometer machines made by professors at Iowa State College in the 1920s to measure horsepower.   He and his sons spent many hours repairing it and figuring out how it worked. Within a year he had it fixed, and he became the only one to build horse pulling dynamometers using the Iowa State model.   He went on to build 4 from the ground up and repaired and tuned machines in MI, NY, KY, FL, and WI making him a legend in the horse pulling world.  His horses were his livelihood whether he was “selling the best and pulling the rest”, winning horse pulling contests, logging with his horses, giving sleigh rides at Crystal Mountain or pulling the large Christmas tree in the Victorian Sleighbell Parade in Manistee.   He was quick to lend a hand, share a story or quick witted one liner, talk to horse friends at all hours of the day, and expected his family to work hard and do the right thing. He worked tirelessly to provide a life for his wife and children and prided himself in being tough enough to overcome multiple logging accidents and injuries.

Larry is survived by: his sons, Barry (Hazel) Reed and Ben (Lisa) Reed of Bear Lake; and daughter, Barbara (Bart Richmond) Hood of Lake Ann; his sister, Edith (Wendell) Putney of Frankfort; and numerous grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by: his wife Joyce (Thompson) Reed; his parents, Milford and Esther (Brink) Reed; his siblings, Raymond Reed, Arbutus Reed and Francis Reed; his daughter, Bethany (Mitchell) Stevenson; and a special nephew, Kevin Reed.

The family would like to thank the staff at Frankfort Pines for the great care Larry received. Cremation has taken place. At the request of Larry, no memorial services will be held.

The Terwilliger Funeral Home, in Kaleva, is in charge of arrangements.

www.terwilligerfuneralhome.com