Larry Osteen

Larry Osteen, age 93, passed away Monday, July 14, 2025 at his daughter’s home in Hampton. Private family burial will take place at a later date. Woodley Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Larry and his family.

He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on October 1, 1931, to Joseph and Jeannette Smith Osteen and grew up in Portageville, Missouri. One of three children, he was an Eagle Scout and valedictorian of the class of 1949.

Larry attended Mississippi State University in Starkville, where he competed on the university tennis team and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. At college, he met Anne Holmes, of Starkville and they married on December 22, 1952.

After graduating with a degree in Ag Economics in 1953, Larry entered the U. S. Air Force and served a year in Korea, then Travis Air Force base in California before returning to Portageville to raise a family.

His career in agri-business brought him to Standard Oil/Amoco beginning in 1967, when he and his family moved to Hampton, Iowa. Over 20 years, he worked in Hampton, Manchester, and finally Algona, Iowa, making many friends along the way. In 1988, he and Anne moved back south to Picayune, Mississippi, where he was active in community theater and multiple civic organizations. In 2006, they moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to be closer to family and the family farm in New Madrid County. There, he was particularly active in International Lion’s Club and continued his lifelong involvement in the Episcopal and Anglican Church.

A family man, Larry was known for his kindness, his consideration of others and his wonderful sense of humor. He was an avid duplicate bridge player, enjoyed tennis, gardening, singing in the church choir and with the River City Barbershop Chorus and investing for many years.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Jocelyn Philipson. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Anne; children Mame (Tony) Moses of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Jeanne Miller (Carl) of Barnes, Wisconsin, Louise (Larry) Gilchrist of Hampton, Iowa, Al (Jillian) Osteen of Madison, Mississippi and Karen (Mike) Boyd of Cedar Park, Texas as well as six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by his sister, Jeannine McGinnis, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, sister-in-law Virginia Hendley, of Columbia, Missouri and many loved nieces and nephews.